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Michigan Soldiers Deploy To West Africa

Posted at 5:30 PM, Jan 06, 2013
and last updated 2013-01-07 12:03:54-05

AUGUSTA, Mich- This will be the fourth time Master Sgt. Craig Pulver has deployed overseas. He’s part of a group of soldiers from the Michigan Army National Guard that’s deploying to Liberia to train members of the armed forces of Liberia.

“We have expectations on what we are going to do,” Pulver said. “If we can make them a little bit better than what they are right now, then we’ve done our job.”

Sunday morning, a special deployment ceremony was held in Augusta to give the soldiers a proper send-off.

“We are not going with weapons, but we are going to be teaching giving them basic training. Getting them to elevate up to where, in time, they can take care of their own country.”

Sgt. Pulver’s three previous tours to Afghanistan were combat situations.  This time, it’s a peacekeeping mission after a 14-year civil war.

Pulver says he couldn’t do what he does the support of his wife, Pam.

“He just got back from Afghanistan,” said Pam. “I’m sad, but happy because this is what he does.”

“Because this is something he loves to do. He’s Army through and through. So I know he’s happy to do it and it makes him proud, so it makes me proud of him.”

Pam said she has a great support system at home, which makes it easier for her to be without her husband. She just hopes they have some form of communication so they can keep in touch.

The troops are not heading straight for Liberia. They’re first stopping at a base in Georgia for training before heading to West Africa. Once there, they’ll spend the next 12 months carrying out the mission.