Deployment Ceremony For Members Of Company A -125th Infantry

DETROIT (WWJ) - A deployment ceremony was held for members of the Michigan National Guard Detroit-based Company A - the 125th Infantry - who are headed to Afghanistan.

WWJ's Beth Fisher reports among the father's holding and hugging children.

About 130 members of the Company A will be deployed to Afghanistan after training.

The commander - Captain Joseph Cannon - has been deployed before, but this will be the first time now that he's the father of a 1-week old daughter.

"It's very tough. She was born last week and it's going to be tough. But, you know, ultimately why are we going over there? So that 10 years from now, 20 years from now, when she puts on the uniform, she's not having to go over there to clean up the mess over there that we failed to fix," said Cpt.Cannon.

Cannon says they'll work to make Afghan's security forces better while they're there for the next year.

This will be Devon Sproll's first deployment - so technology will help him stay in touch with his family.

"When he's in the states we can SKYPE and phone ... talking, (and) of course letters ... still like to get letters," said Lisa Sproll, Devon's wife.

"It's not too bad because she is still ... she knows what's going on, a little bit, but still ... I'd rather her be a little bit younger, so she really didn't know, but it's not too bad," said Devon Sproll as he held his two-year-old daughter.

Jamie Salau's husband is being deployed and they have a young daughter: "I will get used to it, you do, I knew what I was in for," said Jamie, whose husband Sgt. Charles Salau is being deployed.

Sgt. Charles Salau says he will miss his family: "Ah, it's pretty hard, it is."

Salau's mom Ann Moore says she is worried. " My baby, my son ... my older son was over there also with Charlie on his first tour and he lost his left leg, so yeah, my heart's heavy."

The soldiers will be away from home for a year.