ORANGE COUNTY, Fla — Saturday morning, 240 soldiers took part in a ceremony with family before deployment early next week.
Soldiers from the 143rd will deploy in two groups. One will go to Afghanistan and the other will go to Kuwait.
Once on the ground, they will help wherever they're needed. They will secure and inventory equipment and prepare it to be shipped back to the U.S. as a part of the president’s plan to scale back the operation in Afghanistan.
Ella Anumodu’s husband is among the ones deploying, and while she and his kids will miss him, technology will keep them in contact.
"It is very tough, but the good thing is that we have technology, so we're on Skype all the time and the kids absolutely love to see him on Skype,” Anumodu said. “It's a lot easier because when we see him every day, it feels like he just went away for a little while and then he'll be back."
The troops will be able to spend Saturday and Sunday with their families and will fly out early Monday morning.
WFTV