TEMPE, Ariz. — They're known as the Bushmaster Battalion.
400 soldiers in the Arizona National Guard stood shoulder to shoulder at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Friday evening. Their families and loved ones gathered at the arena too, seeing members of the 158th Infantry Regiment off before their ten month deployment to parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, as part of Operation Spartan Shield.
All of this is happening in the midst of a potential government shutdown that officials with the National Guard said could lead to some soldiers being furloughed or without pay. Training and drills would also have to stop if a shut down does happen.
However, those standing in the center of the arena aren't focused on that possibility.
"They have a mission to do and fortunately for us it has nothing to do with the government shutdown so we just go forward," Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Mayeux said
This will mark Mayeux's second deployment overseas, but for most of the men and women in the 158th Infantry Regiment, Mayeux said this will be their first.
"They're ready," he said. "They've worked extremely, extremely hard."
For Sergeant Jared Tyler, Operation Spartan Shield will also be his second deployment and he's looking forward to it.
"What it means to me is getting to go do my job on a global scale making a difference," Sgt. Tyler said.
His wife and father also at the send-off ceremony. Riley Tyler said while she greatly appreciated her husband and everyone's service, it doesn't make deployments any easier.
"I really appreciate my husband's service, I appreciate everyone's here service," she said. "But I'm looking forward to him coming home."
The 158th Infantry Regiment will travel to Texas to be evaluated and trained, however if the government shuts down, that training will be halted as well.
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