Mobilization: San Bernardino to Iraq (with a stop in between)

The troops, a mix of men and women, young and old, singles and moms and dads, hailed from across the state, most leaving civilian jobs - and all leaving civilian lives - to serve in a war that has lasted more than five years at a cost of more than 4,000 American lives.
The troops left for Fort McCoy, Wisconsin after Friday's family-friendly ceremony where they will spend approximately two months preparing for their year-long deployment to Iraq.

This the move purportedly represents the largest California National Guard single-unit deployment since the Korean War.

Friday's gathering featured more smiles and laughs than tears.
Children from Henry Vapa Academy, a performing arts school in Rialto, performed drum-heavy renditions of patriotic songs.

The children adopted about 130 soldiers as pen pals, and will regularly write letters to help keep spirits up, said Barbara Horzen, the academy's parent/teacher organization president.

The academy also presented soldiers with a U.S. flag, donated by the Rialto Fire Department, that they will fly from their base in Iraq before sending back to Rialto.
"We will fly it at our school in their honor," Horzen said.

Inside the Citrus Building, where the civilian/soldiers gathered for lunch and social time while massive transport trucks sat in the parking lot, the talk was of confidence in safety. Most said they had not originally trained for infantry, but would perform dangerous combat duty during their tour because of the Army's stretched ranks.

"I feel good about this, I know he'll be back," said Rachon Brooks, a mother from Bellflower who bought web cams for she and her son, Brandon Jackson, so he can beam his smiling face back from the war zone.

Kim Johnson, 20, was less confident. Six-and-half months pregnant with her first child, the Hesperia resident said she worries about her husband, despite his reassurances.
"I'm scared. He says it's not too hot, not too dangerous there anymore, but it's my job to worry," she said, managing a slight smile.

David Johnson, 21 and descended from a long line of military men, promised his wife he'd be back for her and the baby.

"This is my time to serve, but I have be back for my family."
As of Aug. 22, 4,146 Americans have been killed in Iraq, according to icasualties.org.