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Four National Guard members from Arizona deploy for assignment over seas

Four members of the Army National Guard took part in a send-off ceremony Friday afternoon, ahead of a deployment to the Middle East.

PHOENIX — Four members of the Army National Guard took part in a send-off ceremony Friday afternoon, ahead of a deployment to the Middle East.

The four soldiers will pilot or support C-12 Cargo Planes overseas. The National Guardsmen and women are citizen-soldiers, meaning each one is leaving behind a full-time job to serve their country.

Staff Sergeant Michelle Young works in the Human Resources department of a construction supply company. She said her company has been very supportive, and so has her nine-year-old daughter.

“She’s proud,” said SSG Young. “I’ve been in the military her entire life and we had some tears we shared together, but overall, she’s just really proud.”

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Tyler Sepp has barely had to chance to bond with his 7-week-old son before being deployed.

“It’s tough, it’s tough,” said CW2 Sepp. “You wake up to this [his family], it’s hard to leave that.”

Valerie Sepp will have to learn to cope without Tyler at home. This is the first time Tyler has been deployed since they’ve known each other.

“The unknown is what gets you,” said Valerie. “Luckily, we should be able to communicate fairly well, I think. I’ll have this one [her son] to keep me busy, very busy!”

The send-off ceremony was an emotional one for leadership, as well. 

Major General Michael T. McGuire announced his retirement from the military.

April 11, 2021 will be the first day since he joined the Air Force in 1987 that he will not don his uniform. But that doesn’t mean he won’t serve his community in some fashion.

“I’ll look at all the options to serve,” Said Maj. Gen. McGuire. “Service is in my blood.”

The same could be said for the four men and women embarking on deployment. The length of the service has not been publicly disclosed, but on Friday they stepped out of their life as fathers, mothers, entrepreneurs and Corporate Recruiters to serve their country in the best way they know how.

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