CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- Three days of goodbyes and going-away celebrations began here Tuesday for the roughly 2,600 Minnesota National Guard soldiers who will soon be leaving for a 12-month deployment to Iraq.
An outdoor concert under a warm, cloudless sky began the slate of events, which will culminate today in a ceremony and visit from Gov. Tim Pawlenty. About 3,000 friends and relatives are expected to make the trip. Many of them have been in the area for days.
Spc. Kelly Annable, a 36-year-old mechanic from Brainerd, and the father of seven children, took in Tuesday night's live music sitting close to his wife, Tammy. Annable, a veteran of the first Gulf War, said his focus these few days was to have fun with his family. Then, he said, it's "get over there, and get it done."
The Minnesota troops here make up a majority of the 1st Brigade, 34th Division, a 4,000-strong unit that includes about 1,400 troops from other states. About 300 of the Guard members live in the Fargo-Moorhead area, many of them as part of a company out of Moorhead.
The events this week are intended as a way to honor the hard work the troops have done since they began training here in October, said Lt. Col. Doril Sanders, a public affairs officer for the camp who helps organize the celebrations.
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The Minnesota-based brigade will be the fifth largest contingent of soldiers that Camp Shelby has trained and sent to Iraq, Sanders said. The camp has trained about 20,000 soldiers for Iraq since June 2004, he said.
Many of the Moorhead-based troops spent Tuesday night off base with family, but a few stayed around for the concert. Sgt. Mike Ragan, a 31-year-old who is originally from Verona, N.D., hung out with a Guard buddy while taking in the music.
"I just want to get going," he said of the upcoming deployment. "A lot of the guys, all they want to do now is go. The sooner they get there, the sooner they get to be with their family and friends (again)."
Most of the soldiers could start leaving for Iraq within a few days after the final ceremony, Sanders said.
Ashley Jensen, 19, of Montevideo, said the show of support meant a great deal but she is ready to go to Iraq. Her brother just returned from Baghdad, she said and "gave me some tips and advice."'
"All this just means a lot," she said. "It shows that people support us. Thanks to everyone that's down here."
