Pride and patriotism carried the day as members of the 168th Engineer Brigade of the Mississippi Army National Guard received an emotional send-off by family and friends Tuesday before leaving for Camp Shelby.

Following another family day at the Hattiesburg reserve training center, about 139 Headquarters Company personnel from around the state will be deployed to Afghanistan for the second time since the beginning of U.S. military intervention there following terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Many experienced a morning of wide smiles mixed with joyful tears at its offices at Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex, especially for those about to deploy for the first time.

“I’m kind of scared, but I’m also excited because it’s something different,” said Sgt. Lawanda Fleming, of Jackson, exchanging smiles with family including her son, Corey Turner, 2, and daughter Kiley Turner, 7 months.

After doing the same among most of his Lucedale family, Spc. R.C. Tanner plans to look to fellow soldiers for support once the mission begins.

“They took me in with open arms. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys,” Tanner said, adding more than a hint of confidence as he departed with the rest of the unit.

“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do,” Tanner said.

U.S. Army National Guard officials have estimated more than half of troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan next summer will be composed of guardsmen from around the country. Currently, 200 soldiers of the Mississippi Army National Guard are in the two countries, Mississippi-based spokesman, retired Lt. Col. Tim Powell, said, adding a formal send-off from Camp Shelby will take place in about two weeks.

Capt. Benjamin Wilson, the company commander, said deploying from in-state at Camp Shelby is vital because it isn’t too far away from most places in the state that enlistees call home.

Many of them were part of a Family Readiness Group — support networks of varying sizes in each of their hometowns who plan activities and receive counseling on issues like managing stress and handling finances while loved ones are deployed overseas.

Candy Peterson of Vicksburg assisted members of such a group of wives and relatives from Lucedale as they handed out about 200 teddy bears and 300 balloons containing a short prayer inside for each soldier to give to their children before the bus departed. Her husband, Spc. Josh Peterson, and father-in-law, Warrant Officer Chris Peterson, are one of just four father-son tandems in the 168th, she said.

“It’s their second deployment together,” Candy Peterson said, just before an emotion-filled drill formation on the grounds and a prayer led by Lt. Col. Donald Malin, the brigade chaplain.

Wilson left the departing members of the 168th with words of encouragement as throngs of relatives listened and held one another during the bittersweet send-off — one that portended a successful tour of duty and a speedy return.

“We can all hug each other and say, ‘Job well done,’” Wilson said.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com.