NORFOLK, Va. — Sunday was deployment day for Virginia National Guard soldiers based in Virginia Beach. Men and women of the 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion left ahead of a deployment to Poland.
During a ceremony at Birdneck Elementary School on Sunday morning, community and military leaders — and families — got a chance to say goodbye to the soldiers before they left.
“It’s a great and a sad day,” said Lt Col Carlos Maldonado. “It’s a great day because we get to go forward and do our mission and do what we were trained to do. Also a sad day because we can’t ignore that we’re leaving family behind that are going to have to deal with anniversaries, birthdays, and things like that. But it’s part of the job and we have their support and we’re grateful for that.”
Loved ones shared tears and hugs as they said goodbye to the nearly 70 soldiers deploying.
For some soldiers, like Apollonia Desuze, this will be their first deployment.
“I’m excited, ready to go,” Desuze said. “This is my first deployment. I’m ready to see how it’s going to go when I get out there.”
For others, like Alan Leung, this is something they’ve done a few times before.
“This will be my fourth one actually,” Leung said.
But saying goodbye isn’t always easy.
“Every time when you’re about to leave the country, leave your family and everything, it’s always a shock so to speak,” Leung explained. “Because you’re changing everything from living normally to suddenly the whole year or so of just a completely different environment.”
The soldiers’ mission in Poland is to support U.S. and allied forces in that region. They’re expected to be deployed for most of the year.
“We don’t know exactly when we’re coming back,” Maldonado said. “Sometime late at the end of the year but we don’t have a definite return time quite yet.”
According to a press release, the soldiers will spend a few days training in Texas before heading overseas to Europe.