COVINGTON, TN - A bittersweet end to the holidays for more than 100 Mid-South families. After spending Christmas with their loved ones, 130 members of the Tennessee National Guard 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment shipped out Monday, December 28th, 2009.
School buses, donated by the Tipton County Board of Education, with volunteer drivers at the wheel, will take the soldiers to Camp Shelby in Mississippi for two months of training before they deploy to Iraq in February.
"It was easier the first time," says Lindysue Covington, whose husband Sgt. Wayne Covington, is heading out on his second deployment.
Lindysue and her three children face another year without their husband and father. And that's a more daunting prospect this time around than Lindysue expected.
"This time," she says, "knowing how long that year really takes, and how hard that it was the first time, it's harder this time. It's harder on me."
Sgt. Covington and the other soldiers came home last Tuesday to spend Christmas with their families. Less than a week later, it's time to say goodbye again. The soldiers gathered at the National Guard Armory in Tipton County where there were long hugs, lots of tears and a police escort waiting.
Tipton County Sheriff's Deputies and the Tennessee Highway Patrol led the caravan of buses to the state line where officers in Mississippi then took over the escort responsibilities.
Watching her dad leave was very upsetting to 7-year-old Presley Crosby Covington.
"She's taking it harder this time," says her mom. "She was only two the last time. She'll be o.k. I think. She's having some separation anxiety."
To help ease their minds, Sgt. Covington left strict marching orders for his kids.
"He told us to just keep our mom calm," says 11-year-old Zac. "And keep the blood pressure as normal as possible. And when mom has her alone time, we're gonna give her the best alone time she ever had."
"He was talking to us," says 9-year-old Tayler, "and telling us to behave ourselves and not to fight and to get along and everthing. I told him bye and I love him."
"I have my issues with what's going on over there," says Lindysue, "but I support our military. And I support my husband. He absolutely loves what he does. And he does it with his full heart."
But as the buses passed out of sight of the families left behind, the heart of the Covington family was officially back on duty. Lindysue and the children will remember 2010 as the year that Daddy served in Iraq.
"Just keep us in your prayers," says Lindysue. "And keep our guys in your prayers and the families. Sometimes I think we forget the families are here and it's hard on us."
