Over 600 citizen soldiers said goodbye to their families and loved ones at a deployment ceremony Monday held in Williamston.

The Bob Martin Agriculture Center in Williamston hosted the ceremony to see off National Guard Company A 1st Battalion, and the 252nd Combined Arms Battalion.

The soldiers will head to Fort Bragg to start a three week training period. The soldiers will receive some time off for Christmas but will continue their training after the new year.

The soldiers are expected to deploy to Iraq next spring and will be gone for at least one year.