FORT STEWART, Ga. -- Thousands of Indiana families had one last chance to say farewell to the state's largest deployment of National Guardsman in more than 60 years, including hundreds from the 293rd Infantry's Alpha Company in Warsaw. The unit will leave for Iraq later this week.

It's a historic deployment for the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team that includes nearly 3,400 soldiers from every county in the state, making it the largest deployment of reservists and national guardsman from Indiana since World War II.

WSBT's Troy Kehoe traveled to Ft. Stewart, Georgia to speak with the soldiers and their families before they board transport planes for the Middle East.

The brigade received mobilization orders in April of 2007, and began training at Camp Atterbury in Indiana late last year. After a deployment departure ceremony at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on January 2, the unit then moved to their final training phase at Ft. Stewart, where they have received several different types of battle training for the last two months.

Now, that training is nearly complete, and the unit is set to deploy as early as the end of the week. When they do, they'll first land in Kuwait for 2 weeks of battle training, then they'll deploy to Iraq, though military leaders won't say where.

For some it will be their second or third deployment to Iraq. But for many, it is a new experience. And that has emotions running high -- not just for the brigade, but for those the guardsman will leave behind.

For Specialist John Compton, who serves in Company A, the emotions are complicated, and every moment before deployment is like a ticking clock. The 23-year-old Plymouth High School graduate is focused on his mission, and after 3 months of intense training he says his brigade is ready.

"We're well trained for the fight," he said, sitting with his Company at Ft. Stewart. "[We know] our equipment and what we need to know when we get over there."

And the statistics back that up. The unit went far beyond just live fire exercises. Much of their training involved role playing with mock Iraqi civilians, leaving the guardsman to sort out friend from foe. More than 20 percent of the brigade shot perfect scores on live fire training exercises throughout their training, and nearly 50 percent passed enough basic medical training to be certified as combat medics.

Combat commanders call the 76th the most well prepared brigade to emerge from Ft. Stewart in a very long time.

But there's one thing he isn't prepared for: leaving his finance at home in South Bend to plan their wedding, not knowing when he might see her again.

"You can't really train for leaving people you love for a year," he said. "It's trial and error. There's no manual for it."

It's a feeling spreading quickly through his unit. Close friends like Specialist Randy Bouse of Warsaw are wrought with mixed emotions.

"The hardest part will be leaving my wife," he said. "We just got married a year ago. I'm nervous, but excited to go too."

"I'm nervous, but confident," agreed Spc. Tyler Morris of North Manchester, who went to high school with Spc. Bouse. "It's hit me harder than I expected because I finally found my biological sisters after 17 years of looking. Now, I have to leave them again. It's hard. I think about it every day. But it's something I signed up to do."

Those feelings are shared by those they'll soon leave behind too.

"This is my baby going out there," said Vickie Morgan of Goshen, whose son Spc. Bryan Applegate will be deploying to Iraq for the first time. "I guess every mother feels that. And I'm proud of him, and exhilarated for him. But it's scary too."

"There are a lot of mixed emotions," agreed Calli Threet, whose husband Spc. Jeremiah Threet will deploy for the first time too, leaving behind their 2- and 3-year-old daughters. "I'm upset that he's going, but I'm proud of him. For that, I'm happy. But I'm sad. I'm excited, but I'm hopeful."

And those feelings echoed across Ft. Stewart on deployment weekend, from wives and mothers to children with birthdays, piano recitals and basketball games, who won't see Mom or Dad in the crowd for at least a year.

All have now been left with only one option.

"I have to think positive," said Calli. "That's all I can do. Think positive, and know he'll come home."

The 76th Brigade is a collection of National Guard units from across the state. Six months ago, many were strangers, but now, each says they act as one. Nicknamed the "Nighthawk Brigade," their deployment will be historic. Their numbers represent more than a quarter of all enlisted guardsman and reservists in Indiana.

And that's no small feat.

Indiana is the 13th most populated state, but boasts the 4th largest contingent of Army National Guard soldiers. The Nighthawks' deployment will mean Indiana has more guardsman serving in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other state.

It's a point of pride for Gov. Mitch Daniels who traveled to Ft. Stewart Friday night to eat with the brigade in their mess hall. As he did, he made each and every one a promise.

"We will do anything we can to support you and your loved ones in your absence," he told them. "We will be there for them in any way we can. I want [you] to know you go to war knowing that the people of Indiana put this at the top of our 'to do' list."

It was a promise repeated by decorated military leaders, including the U.S. Army's Vice Chief of Staff, 4-star General Richard Cody, a veteran of the first Gulf War, who told the brigade, he understands how hard this moment is.

"It is a sacrifice," he said. "It's not just the rucksack of combat that the soldier carries. Our Army families carry that rucksack too. They are the unsung heroes six years into this war. We can't ever replace that sense of family. But we can make sure we have the best support groups back at the post stations and in the towns and cities of Indiana, so the soldier knows their families and loved ones are being taken care of back home while they're protecting us abroad."

While not on active duty, National Guardsman play the role of "citizen soldiers;" ever ready for duty, but living fairly normal lives. It's the reason many of their employers from across the state also made the trek to Ft. Stewart.

Each signed a "5-star" certificate, pledging to do all in their power to support the Guard, and Guard families while the unit is on active duty.

B.F. Goodrich-Fort Wayne Human Resources Manager Tom Clancy is one of them. Two of Company A's guardsman work there, and he says, for that reason alone, it was important for the company to show its support.

"There's 1,500 employees back at our facility that have these to guys in mind right now," he said. "We just wanted to come here and tell them we'll provide for them and their families in any way we can, so they can do their duty as soldiers, then return safe to us, and have a job when they go back to work."

They are more in a long line of words that brought comfort to guardsman this weekend. But for some the hardest moments still lie ahead, as they say a final goodbye later this week. And, as the clock ticks, there is no denying the growing apprehension.

"We're just ready to go and get it over with" said Sgt. Sean Calhoun of Wabash. "It's been a long time coming."

For about 1,500 of the Nighthawk Brigade, that moment won't come until their temporary four-day leave ends on Wednesday. But for the other half, it came with an emotional deployment ceremony on the grounds at Ft. Stewart on Saturday.

More than 10,000 people were on hand to say their final goodbyes at that send-off ceremony.

Watch for more on it, and their stories, Monday night at 11 on WSBT.