Soldiers with the 155th Brigade Combat Team intend to make someadjustments to their holiday plans this year to spend more timewith their families before they deploy to Iraq.

“I just plan on enjoying my family for 10 days,” said Sgt. 1stClass Trey Summers of Brookhaven. “It makes for a difficult timewhen you know you’ll be gone for at least a year.”

It’s especially heartbreaking to leave a young child, he said.His daughter, Josephine, 14 months, will be 2 or 3 years old by thetime the unit returns from operations in Iraq.

“It’s hard,” Summers said. “I’ve been in training already forhalf her life and haven’t been able to see her much and now I haveto go away for a year. It’s very hard.”

Sgt. Zack Smith of Ruth, as a newlywed, can empathize withSummers. He tries to laugh off the pain.

“We haven’t been married but six months. I’ve spent a lot moretime with these ugly jokers than I have with her,” he said.

His wife and parents were waiting in the audience for him to bereleased on a 10-day leave after participating in a brigadesend-off ceremony at Camp Shelby Wednesday. More than 2,000soldiers were expected to be released after the ceremony to spendthe holidays with their families before deploying to Iraq inJanuary.

Smith said the unit was as prepared as possible for thedeployment, but he expected some surprises when they arrived in thecombat zone.

“I don’t think any of the training they can give us will totallyprepare us for what we’re about to go through,” he said.

Even single soldiers feel the pang of impending loneliness andintend to spend more time with their families.

“It’s hard because I don’t know if I’m going to be able to spendnext year with them or not,” said Spc. Dreamus Harron ofBrookhaven.

Harron said a large contingent of family members was in theaudience of an estimated 10,000 people who came to watch theceremony, including his parents, brothers, aunts andgirlfriend.

“It makes me feel good to know we have all that support behindus. It’s good to see a familiar face,” he said.

Spc. James Alvey of Enterprise said his plans simply requiremore time at home.

“I’m going to try to spend a little more time with everyone,” hesaid. “Usually, I’m not in a rush, so I waste a lot of time. Idon’t plan on wasting any time this Christmas.”

Alvey added, however, that he did want to spend some timefishing alone to relax and “put things into perspective.”

Spc. Timothy Touchstone of McCall Creek agreed that the mostimportant thing this holiday was time spent with relatives. Hisparents and fiancee were in the audience.

“I hope and pray we’ll all return safely and be home beforeChristmas next year,” he said. “But, we have a mission, and we’llstay until we complete that mission.”