Today, I went to the Santa Ana Event Center to document the sendoff and yellow ribbon ceremony of more then 240 Army National Guard members from the 720th Transportation Company. They will be deployed to Iraq and be attached to a Oregon unit for a year. First they will go to training for a month and ship out. This is one of the largest deployments for a guard unit from New Mexico.
This ceremony was to pray for the safety for the troops and have the families spend time together. These are always tough to photograph because you don't want to intrude on people's lives but you want to show people the struggles of deploying service members.
I have the most respect for our service men and women who put up their lives on hold and go over to a foreign or domestic mission for our country. They give the most for our country and seldom get the pay they deserve.
Its always tough seeing children with their dads or moms holding on to them before they are sent to war. I can't imagine not seeing my kids for a whole year. There is so much that will happen in that year. Its a tough time for both sides. The soldier who has to fight and the support at home who has to raise the kids.
This last picture sums up all the things that go with fighting a war is saying goodbye to loved ones. The troops get to spend 24 hours before they have to report for duty so the families do get to spend a day with them before they leave. If you get a chance to thank a service member please do they do sacrifice alot for this country.
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