Crowds of people lined East College Drive and Main Street on Thursday, to say goodbye to 70 National Guard soldiers being deployed to the Middle East. Community members cheered, waved and held up signs as two buses drove past, escorted by emergency responders and Patriot Guard Riders.

MARSHALL — They were holding banners, homemade signs and American flags of all sizes. The crowds lining East College Drive and East Main Street on Thursday were all waiting for the buses carrying deploying Minnesota National Guard soldiers to arrive.

As two buses carrying 70 soldiers passed down Main Street, people waved and cheered.

“It means a lot to us to support all the troops,” said Marshall resident Katie Will. Katie and her son Cooper both took part in a final send-off for members of Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 151 Field Artillery Regiment of the Minnesota National Guard.

Later this summer, Alpha Battery will begin a nine-month deployment in the Middle East. The soldiers attended a deployment ceremony on Wednesday at the Red Baron Arena and Expo, where they formally received their orders.

The members of Alpha Battery come from a total of 65 communities across Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Alpha Battery soldiers were escorted out of Marshall Thursday afternoon by area law enforcement, fire departments, and the Patriot Guard Riders. They will travel to Fort Johnson, Louisiana, for training before being deployed to support Operation Inherent Resolve.

Many of the people gathered near the corner of East College Drive and Main Street on Thursday said they were there to support soldiers they knew in the community. Marshall resident Tiffany Bailey said her family were at the sendoff for a soldier they knew through families at their day care.

“We wanted to come out and show our support for him,” she said. Bailey said having grown up in a military family also made her want to come out and support the troops. “The patriotism part of it has always been a huge part of my life,” she said.

A big group of Runnings employees had gathered at the corner of College and Main, wearing matching shirts and carrying banners with messages thanking soldiers for their service. Employees said part of the reason they were there was because a co-worker’s son was being deployed with Alpha Battery.

“We’re there to support her, and her son,” one Runnings group member said. Some of the banners had messages for the departing soldier, Spc. Gavin Nielsen.

Area residents said seeing the National Guard deployment leave Marshall carried a mix of emotions. Katie Will said it took on a different meaning for her, knowing that her son was also a National Guard member. Cooper Will will be going to finish his Advanced Individual Training, he said.

Cooper Will said being at the sendoff on Thursday did have a different meaning for him, too. “It means a lot to me to see them going to do their job, that they trained for,” he said.