Deployment Ceremony Gives Soldiers A Proper Send-Off [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD -- A deployment ceremony was held Saturday afternoon for Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers in the St. Cloud-based Detachment 1, Charlie Company, 1-171 Aviation Regiment.

The ceremony featured guest speakers, the Order to Mobilization, and a benediction from the brigade chaplain.

Captain Amanda Waldusky is a commanding officer for the company. She says they will head down to Texas before the actual deployment.

"We're leaving for Kuwait for a MEDEVAC mission on February 1st," Waldusky says.

"So we'll be heading down to Fort Hood for some train-up."

Waldusky says the Army holds deployment ceremonies in order to give families the opportunity to give the soldiers a proper send-off.

"I think [the ceremony] went very well and we had a lot of people from the Patriot Guard out - which was awesome," Waldusky says.

"[There was] a lot of friends and family for only 12 people leaving, there was quite a good turnout."

Charlie Company will support units from New Mexico, Ohio and Mississippi during their year-long deployment to Camp Buehring in Kuwait.