Nick King photo

A thousand National Guard troops from 300 communities across Missouri assemble during a deployment ceremony for the 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade yesterday in the Hearnes Center. The soldiers were to leave today for training in preparation for a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. It is the largest single deployment of Missouri Guard troops since World War I. •  See the Slide Show

Like many students fresh out of college, Lucas Green was indecisive in 2003 about what to do with his life after earning his diploma. After studying broadcasting at Central Missouri State University and doing stints at KMOS and KRCG, Green said he was having trouble settling into a job he liked.

"So I quit that, and I joined the" Missouri "National Guard," said Green, 28. "I decided to join the Guard in 2003. It’s something I always wanted to do. I was unsure of what I was doing and thought it was a good time to join up."

Green was one of 1,000 soldiers from more than 300 Missouri communities honored yesterday at the Hearnes Center in a deployment ceremony that was the only gathering of the entire Kosovo Force 10 mobilization. It also is the largest single deployment of Missouri National Guard troops since World War I.

After another week of pre-deployment training in camps Crowder and Clark as well as Fort Leonard Wood, the unit will make stops in Camp Atterbury, Ind., and Germany before landing in Kosovo in June. They began 24 hours’ leave yesterday to spend time at Easter with their families.

The soldiers stood at attention on the arena floor, a sea of green-gray uniforms, as dignitaries such as U.S. Reps. Kenny Hulshof and Ike Skelton thanked them for their service in speeches prompting loud cheers from spectators.

Maj. Gen. King Sidwell held back tears as he thanked "Missouri’s citizen-soldiers" for their dedication, and several state lawmakers also spoke.

"You are all-weather soldiers and all-season patriots," Rep. Rachel Bringer, D-Palmyra, said. "Make no mistake that you are the pride of the state of Missouri."

Sgt. Green’s wife, Jennifer, said the ceremony "really brought up my spirits" as she and her husband prepared for their separation. "I was very excited to see everybody, … but after seeing the troops standing, I was completely overwhelmed. I was very emotional about it, just thinking about the big picture, what it means: the year-long or nine-month deployment, the time lost. But it’s for a good reason. It was a great ceremony. I’m so glad they did it, so glad."

After getting out of basic training in 2004, guardsman Green said he started to focus on special education and night classes.

"I had a good friend growing up that was mentally retarded, and I started going to school" at Columbia College, where he’s seeking a master’s degree in special education, Green said.

Then, he began working as a paraprofessional at Rock Bridge Elementary School with children with autism. Last year he joined the staff at Oakland Junior High School.

"When I got the call to do this, I was sad that I had to leave my kids," he said of his Guard assignment. "It’s part of the job, but it’s hard to leave my kids."

Green, who spent last night playing with his English setter and having dinner with his family at a Columbia steakhouse, said he will be a team leader in Kosovo, heading peacekeeping missions in turbulent areas of the former Serbian province that declared independence last month. "We love our country and all of us joined up to serve our country," Green said. "We want to bring some of that to Kosovo and keep that region stable and well-protected so they can, too, share in the prosperity that we take for granted."

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