‘They’re going to miss their dad’: 300 Maryland National Guard soldiers deploy to East Africa

DUNDALK — More than 300 Maryland Army National Guard soldiers are heading overseas, leaving behind families who are preparing for months of missed birthdays, phone calls and empty seats at home.

The Maryland Army National Guard held a deployment ceremony Monday at the Dundalk Readiness Center for soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment.

The battalion is deploying in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, where soldiers will work with partner forces on regional security and counterterrorism efforts across East Africa.

For the families gathered in Dundalk, however, the mission began with goodbye.

Sarah Patterson stood in the crowd with her two daughters as her husband, Staff Sgt. Jamal Patterson, prepared for his second deployment.

“This is my second go around,” Patterson said. “He left me once before, but she was only five months the first deployment. Now I have two, and it’s a little harder as they get older.”

She said the difference this time is that her daughters are old enough to understand why their father is leaving.

“She knows what’s going on,” Patterson said. “They’re gonna miss their dad. They’re gonna ask for him.”

Staff Sgt. Patterson said the day brought a mix of emotions as he prepared to leave with the soldiers he has trained alongside.

“It’s a bit of emotions, but it’s also a sense of pride,” he said, pointing to both the mission ahead and the family support behind him.

Patterson also emphasized that National Guard soldiers remain members of their communities even when they put on the uniform.

“We still have to take the uniform off, so we are humans,” he said. “You could look back and not only have support within your family that’s behind you, but also you still have that support within your brothers and sisters in arms.”

For Sarah Patterson, that support system will become especially important while her husband is away.

“I’m blessed. I have a support system. I am truly blessed,” she said. “I know not everybody has a village behind them, and I’m blessed to have one.”

Other families at the ceremony shared many of the same emotions.

Relatives of another deploying soldier, Gabriel Moore, described a family with generations of military service, including relatives who served in the Army and Air Force and others connected to the U.S. Naval Academy.

“We’re nervous, but we’re also excited,” one family member said. “We’re very proud of Gabriel and his decision to commit to our country.”

His relatives said deployments affect far more than the person wearing the uniform.

“This is a time for us to lean into each other and to support each other,” one family member said. “This is a major sacrifice for the families.”

She encouraged people who do not have loved ones in the military to support the families who do.

“I hope that they are standing beside us as he stands in the front line for us,” she said.

During the ceremony, Maryland Army National Guard leaders recognized the soldiers along with their families, employers and community supporters. The battalion had spent the past year preparing for deployment while also responding to missions at home, including winter weather response and security support in Washington, D.C., during the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

The 175th Infantry Regiment has roots dating back to Maryland militia formations organized in 1774 and has served in conflicts ranging from the American Revolution and World War II to modern overseas missions.

As the soldiers prepare to carry that history into another deployment, some of the smallest voices in the crowd captured what the departure means at home.

One of Patterson’s daughters put it simply:

“I miss my dad when he’s gone.”