TRAFALGAR, Ind. (AP) – Family members hugged and cried as about 160 members of an Indiana National Guard unit prepared to leave for a deployment that will send them to Kuwait and possibly Afghanistan.

Relatives and friends will much of the seating area at Johnson County's Indian Creek High School on Sunday during the departure ceremony for the Franklin-based 1313th Engineer Company. Santa visited children's activities before the ceremony coming less than three weeks before Christmas.

Sgt. Michael Goodroad tells WRTV that it's a hard time to leave his young daughter and son but will communicate with them over Skype while he's away.

Unit commander Capt. Christopher Eaton tells the Daily Journal the soldiers will be doing construction and maintenance work related to winding down the Afghanistan war.