Misawa airmen depart for Iraq

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Misawa airmen depart for Iraq
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, September 23, 2008

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Even pets came to say goodbye.

Families gathered in a parking lot near the north side of base Sunday morning to see their loved ones off to war.

There were kisses for spouses, bear hugs for kids, pats on the head for family dogs and a few tears for all, before airmen shuffled with their Army green duffle bags to a bus that marked the first leg of a journey. Final destination: Iraq.

First, the bus dropped them at a hangar. Airmen were to later board a plane and fly out of northern Japan for a deployment expected to last four to five months.

More than 300 airmen are deploying to an undisclosed base with the 14th Fighter Squadron, which is tasked with providing close-air support to troops on the ground. The main body left Sunday, according to base officials.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57567