More Ozarks soldiers are headed to Iraq.

Nearly a dozen National Guard soldiers said goodbye to their families Saturday morning at the Springfield-Branson National Airport. The group includes pilots and mechanics, and the missions will be centered around transportation.

The soldiers are expected to be in Iraq for seven months; they say, a long time to be away from their families.

“They don't like to see me go,” says Detachment Commander James Williams. “You know it's a long time to be away from your family, but this is what I've been doing for 25 years so we're kind of used to it.”

The group is apart of the 185th Theater Aviation Company. They're headed to Fort Benning, Georgia. Then next week, they'll fly to Kuwait before heading over to Iraq.