Wyoming Guard to leave for Afghanistan

WYOMING, Mich.(WOOD) - Families of Wyoming National Guardsmen gathered Monday night to say goodbye before their loved ones will be deployed to Afghanistan.

Members of Charlie Company of the 125th Infantry of Michigan's Army National Guard will leave soon for Afghanistan.

Friends and family gathered at the Grand Valley Armory on Monday at 7 p.m. to wish them farewell. The ceremony lasted for about 20 minutes.

Guardsmen will go to Camp Shelby in Mississippi on Friday for training before leaving for Afghanistan in Decemeber to help efforts in the Konduz province.

The good-byes especially hard for Private First Class Nathan Dimmick. His twins Landon and Sophia just six months old.

"It's going to suck having to leave them, with only being here six months with them so far. But we'll have our phones and computers to keep in contact until we leave," said Dimmick.

"I'm just disappointed that he's going to have to miss out on them walking and talking and crawling and all their first things, all their milestones that he's going to miss," said Dimmick's wife Alyssa.

Sgt. Nathan Weemhoff served in Iraq three years ago. He said goodbye to his parents for the second time on Monday.

"It's also hard too, because I know what it's like to be leaving family for a while, but we're going to do a good job and I'm looking forward to doing that," said Weemhoff.

"You're concerned about him, but on the other hand because it's his second deployment it's a little easier because you know a little bit more what the separation is going to be like and so on and so fourth," said Weemhoff's father David.

While the 125th spends a year in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, organizations like the Family Readiness Group work to aid families here in Michigan. On Monday, the Family Readiness Group was at the Armory with picture frame Daddy Dolls, Blankets for the Brave and Baby Baskets.

The company of about 125 is just part of 1,200 guardsmen and women from Michigan that are going to Afghanistan.

Other members of Company C returned from their deployment in Afghanistan in December 2010.