Soldiers train for year long deployment to Iraq

Paul Bruecher, of Sedalia, leaves today for a year-long deployment in Iraq after spending only months with his family in the past year.

Sgt. Bruecher, 45, was one of 28 members of the 20th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Missouri National Guard at a deployment ceremony at the Maj. Gen. John C. McLaughlin Armory Wednesday.

Sgt. Bruecher will spend his time in Iraq as an intelligence analyst. He said after the ceremony he had mixed feelings about the deployment.

He's leaving his wife and 3-year-old and 5-year-old sons.

"I've got to do what I've got to do," he said. He returned from an 18-month deployment in 2005, and expected to be deployed again.

He spent most of his free time preparing his family for deployment, by fixing up the house and making sure the family's vehicle was in good shape.

Sgt. Bruecher also built a play set in the yard for his son. "One has to wonder how good it actually is if there's no one there to play with him on it," Sgt. Bruecher said.

The soldiers leave for Fort Sill, Okla., this morning for 10 to 12 weeks of training, then will head to a year-long mission in Balad, Iraq.

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