It was a bittersweet scene at Fort Riley Thursday as families said good bye to loved ones heading to Iraq.

The 3,400 troops are proud to be serving and are ready for their mission in Iraq.

E4 Specialist John Swales said, "This is not a surprise for anybody of anybody in the army, your going to get deployed, doesn't matter what your job in the army is your going to go overseas to Iraq or Afghanistan so it makes training every bit of training you do that much more intensely and make sure it's not a game because it's your life."

The First Infantry Division's Fourth Brigade will board planes and head to Iraq. This is all part of President Bush's plan to increase troops in the Middle East.