About 30,000 friends and family members of Texas National Guard troops were at Baylor University Saturday for a sendoff ceremony for 3,000 soldiers.

It's the largest Texas Guard deployment since World War II.

The soldiers are part of the 56th Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, and will guard and secure convoys over a 300 mile area in Iraq.

The guardsmen are expecting to return to their families within a year. Usually the National Guard deploys within the United States, but the war in Iraq has led to overseas deployments.

"I certainly rather would miss my lovely wife and a few other things, but it's something that has to be done," Texas National Guard Capt. George Sellers said.

Colonel James Brown said the soldiers have undergone five-and-a-half months of intensive training and are well-equipped for the Middle East.

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	National Guard deployed About 3,000 soldiers are headed to Iraq - the largest number since WWII.

But most importantly, Brown said, the troops have to will to complete their mission.

"In terms of being prepared, I feel I'm prepared. I'm willing to meet the challenges ahead," Sellers said.

"Nothing we can do is good enough for these soldiers," Brown said.

"I'm proud that I get to serve my country. They're really being supportive and they understand that I've got a job to do and I'm going to come back in a year," Lt. Hoy Bryson said.

Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn were among the crowd.

The 56th Brigade, based in Fort Worth with soldiers from more than 20 cities, is scheduled to leave within the next few days and spend a year in Iraq.

"Be safe. Be strong and we'll see you when you come home," Perry said.