- Video shows Michigan Army National Guard Deployment Ceremony at Eastern High School in Lansing.
- More than 80 members of the 272nd Regional Support Group will be deployed to the Middle East.
- Families and friends celebrated the unit and wished them luck on their journey.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Emotions were high at Eastern High School in Lansing on Sunday, as the Michigan Army National Guard held a deployment ceremony for troops heading overseas to the Middle East.
"There's no real way to prepare for leaving your family; there just isn't," said Captain Daniel Sackmann, Company Commander of the 272nd RSG. "So, today is a sad day for a lot of soldiers. But also we are all very excited; we are all highly motivated."
More than 80 members of the 272nd Regional Support Group will be deployed to the Middle East, spread out across multiple countries.
The unit will provide base operations and facilitate logistical support for other service members stationed overseas. This can include ensuring service members have general life support like food and lodging.
Major General Paul Rogers said, "They'll do anything from contracting to housing to all of those support needs so other units can stay focused on their mission."
According to Major General Paul Rogers, the troops are anticipated to be overseas for around nine to ten months.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer wished the troops well and pledged her support for their mission.
"I can tell you as someone who's traveled the country and the globe, this National Guard is the finest," Governor Whitmer said.
The troops said goodbye to their friends and families as they waited to board a bus. Major General Paul Rogers asks families of deployed troops to contact them for assistance, including grant programs and emergency repair needs from skilled professionals within the National Guard.
"Really, the first step is for a family not to suffer in silence, but to bring us in and share their needs with us, and let us find a solution for them," said Rogers.
According to Michigan National Guard Strategic Director Major Megan Green, the troops will head to Fort Cavazos in Texas for about two weeks for pre-mobilization, before heading overseas.
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