Godspeed.
Family and friends bid farewell to members of the National Guard shipping off to Afghanistan at Fort Hamilton on Sept. 30.
The 29 soldiers of 107th Military Police Company are off to training at Fort Bliss, Texas, before deployment to the war-torn nation later this fall, and the goodbyes were bittersweet, said one serviceman.
“It’s going to be hard being away,” said Spc. Daniel Suarez, who left a girlfriend and family back home. “But I’m looking forward to doing my job, doing something I can be proud of.”
The company will support Afghan forces in the nation’s capital Kabul, where they are trying to keep the Taliban from regaining control, and are expected to return home to New York next summer.
The deployment is tough on loved ones too, and Suarez’s sweetheart is one of many who plan on soldiering through her boyfriend’s absence by sending love, she said.
“It’s sad, saying goodbye, but I’ll be able to keep in contact with him, send him care packages, and support him,” said Adalheid Seda, who has dated Suarez for a month. “I’m very proud of him and what he’s accomplished.”
And the departure was particularly tough knowing that servicemen and women are going to be away for the holidays, one said.
“It’s going to be very difficult, especially being away for the holidays, but I’m also excited,” said Sgt. Greg Kozloski. “All we have is each other, and I’m honored to be there watching out for each other.”
