It was an emotional day on Saturday for family and friends of two Wisconsin National Guard units heading to Afghanistan.

An official send-off ceremony today gave the community an chance to show their support for the soldiers.

The soldiers heading overseas are from the Platteville- and Prairie Du Chien- based 229th Engineer Company and the Tomah-based 106th Quarry Detachment.

Some of them have known this day was coming for about a year and half.

But that didn't make Saturday's send-off at the Prairie Du Chien High School any easier for the soldiers, or their family and friends.

The gym was packed with people, all there to show their support to approximately 150 soldiers leaving.

First they will head to Texas for a little more than a month of training and then will be deployed to the Kandahar province in Afghanistan.

While overseas they will be doing construction work.

One soldier says even though it's sad to say goodbye, she's ready to go to work.

"We're just ready to go. Let's go. Everyone's motivated to go over there do our job and come home," said Staff Sgt. Karen Knock.

It's a sentiment that's shared by family members.

Some spoke about how much they will miss their loved ones but how ready their soldiers are to serve their country and put their training to good use.

"He is ready. He knows he's ready and we know he's ready. It's just always hard to say goodbye. It's not a goodbye. It's see ya later. Goodbye 's final and that's not what it is," said Connie Lee, the mother of one of the deploying soldiers.

This is the second deployment for some of these soldiers.

In 2003 some went to Iraq where they helped rebuild runways, operating bases and other Iraqi buildings.

The soldiers are expected to be in Afghanistan for about 10 months.