Oklahoma Army National Guard unit prepares for deployment

69 members of the 111th Area Support Medical Battalion in Broken Arrow said goodbye Thursday to family and friends. <br><br>It was a moment of mixed emotions for family members who are sad to see their

Friday, March 28th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

69 members of the 111th Area Support Medical Battalion in Broken Arrow said goodbye Thursday to family and friends.

It was a moment of mixed emotions for family members who are sad to see their loved ones leave but proud to see them serve their country. For Kathy Dossey it's a goodbye that's all too familiar, her daughter is about to deploy but her son is already there.

Dossey says even though her children are grown, a mother's instincts never go away. â€œYou don't really every moment think about are they gonna die, you think more along the lines of I'd like to wrap my arms around them so they can sleep for awhile, I'll watch em while they rest. You want to protect them for a little while, and give them a break."

Nearly 5,000 Oklahoma National Guard members have been called up as part of the war effort.