More than 300 North Carolina guardsmen and women have been called to active duty. They say they are ready, but deployment will be tough on their families.
"It's more of a harder time for them than it is us. We're kind of excited to get to go. It's what we train to do. We made the commitment. For them, it kind of comes as a shock," said Lt. Timothy Furmage, of the North Carolina National Guard.
"I'll miss my family, of course. I've got a 5-month-old daughter who I certainly don't want to leave, but it's my job," said Capt. Fred Ritter, of the North Carolina National Guard.
Mechanics have been working on 24 Apache helicopters flown by the 1st Battalion of the 130th Attack Helicopter Regiment. The regiment will go to an active U.S. Army post for more training and qualification, then join a regular Army helicopter unit. The regiment's final destination will be determined at a later time.
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