More than two dozen members of an Army Reserve unit based in Appleton are preparing to deploy for a mission overseas, and today they got a send-off from family and friends.
They gathered Friday for a farewell ceremony before being deployed to Kuwait.
The emotional ceremony took place at the Army Reserve Center, where families of soldiers filled the audience to show their love and support for the soldiers.
The 32 soldiers will be headed to Fort Hood, Texas before leaving for their mission.
This will be the second tour for Shawano native Sgt. Matthew Beyers.
"The camaraderie with the other soldiers is what really gets you through a deployment and we have a great group of guys that I've known most of them for 3 to 4 years already so we have a good, close knit group and that's one main thing that really gets you through a deployment is just being close to the people around you," Sgt. Beyers said.
The soldiers are expected to be in Kuwait for nine months.
Sgt. Beyers said it's important to stay in close contact with loved ones back home as much as possible.
