Bragg troops heading to Afghanistan, leave families behind

The group is the second deployment of members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, in the last week.

"This is what I do. This is how I take care of them," Spc. Kyle Mexicotte said as he watched his 2-year-old son, Lucas, play in empty lockers at Fort Bragg. "I have wanted to do this since I was his age."

Meghan Mexicotte said she has learned to live with deployments, but she acknowledged that no one ever really gets used to it.

"Who would not be concerned? They are out in combat for the most part," she said. "Once he is gone, it will hit me more. It is not too bad until I hear my son every morning asking where his dad is."

The paratroopers will be in Afghanistan for nine months to a year, training Afghan Security Forces to protect their country so more American forces can come back home.

They will fly 13 hours over four days to get to their final destination in Afghanistan.

"It is going to be one long flight, and I hate flying," Sgt. Demetrius Dasher said.

Dasher said he thought it best that his family not be at Fort Bragg to see him go. So, they were with relatives.

Because he will miss the holidays, he made his 3-year-old daughter a promise for when he returns.

"I am still going to take you to Disney World. We will have that tea party with the princesses," he said.

"Everybody is going to be disgruntled about leaving before Christmas – it is Christmas," Kyle Mexicotte said.