GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Thirty soldiers with the North Carolina National Guard were honored in a deployment ceremony Saturday. 

• The soldiers will be deployed to Central Asia
• The deployment is part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel
• The soldiers began preparing for this deployment last January

The ceremony came before their upcoming deployment to Central Asia. Soldiers say it was a ceremony that brought together not just themselves, but their loved ones. 

"This is an excellent opportunity for all the families to come together and see the support network that comes together in times of hardship, times of mobilization, to work together so they can have the comfort and security to enable us to do our jobs," Commander Earle Pope said.

One wife whose husband will deploy for the third time says that support makes it easier. 

"The hardest moments are holidays and birthdays, and when he's over there and unable to call home for certain periods of time, that makes it hard. Having that support system that you can call and lean on. It makes it a little bit easier," Bridgett Gobble the leader of the Family Readiness Group said. 

The deployment is part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. One soldier says he is proud of the work he gets to do. 

"A lot of people don't get the chance to go out and make something of themselves and make the world a better place, but ultimately the joy I get from going over and helping people whether I'm protecting people back home or helping people overseas, it's a wonderful feeling of joy that I can do this for my country and the world," staff Sgt. Clinton Morrison said. 

"You have to surrender to the position because it's all or nothing. I'm very proud of these soldiers for, they've really put their hearts into this. Very excited, very proud of them," Commander Pope said. 

The soldiers began preparing for this deployment last January and say they feel ready.