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Pocono News Section
Soldiers Prepare to Deploy to Afghanistan
Soldiers Prepare to Deploy to Afghanistan - Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 4:39PM EST
Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Tuesday, Dec 4, 2007 @04:39pm EST
EAST STROUDSBURG - Eighteen National Guardsmen from the 109th Infantry at Kemp Armory in East Stroudsburg will soon head to the Middle East.
Their military mission: secure Afghanistan.
Their personal mission: get home safely.
They won't see their loved ones for a year. Jeannette Rodriguez is married to Specialist Amin Rodriguez. She will stay home with the couple's six month old baby Nathalie. "I'm just thinking that I am gonna be alone, that my husband's not going to be here and that I'm just gonna be here by myself with my baby," she cried.
Amin will miss the baby's first steps and her first words. He said, "That's what you get trained for, to be able to suppress that for the mission and come back here."
Throughout the ceremony, families snuck in some final kisses and held on to each other while they tried to push back the thought that this could be the last week they ever see their soldiers.
While there were a lot of tears at the event, officers called it a celebration.
Lt. Colonel Stephen Zarnowski explained, "We want to celebrate their service, their volunteerism, what they're about to do."
They are about to serve in "Operation Enduring Freedom" and with their loved ones to motivate them they will all make it safely back to the armory for a welcome home celebration this time next year.
"It's not gonna do me any good to go out there and do my job and not come home," said Specialist Keith Chew. | | |
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