Approximately 50 members of the Connecticut Army National Guard deployed on Thursday from Windsor Locks. They boarded CH-47F Chinook helicopters and will fly to Fort Hood in Texas to meet the rest of their unit, the 2/104th Aviation Regiment.
There they will train before heading to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel.
The unit has deployed multiple times, most recently to Afghanistan in 2013.
While overseas, they use the Chinooks to move soldiers, cargo and supplies.
Prior to leaving, the soldiers took several minutes to say goodbye to their parents, spouses and children who they won’t see again for almost a year.
