Arkansas Guard Soldiers Deploy to Kuwait

Kenzie Molden made her grand entrance eight days ago.  She came two weeks early, but long enough for Daddy to hold her a few days.

"We tried just about everything. She came because we were driving a bumpy road," Laura Molden said.

Not only is this the family's first child, but it's also Specialist Molden's first deployment. That makes every touch and every kiss memorable.

"Time flies, and you're trying to take advantage of all the time you have while you have it and take each day by the day," Spc. Molden said.

That's the advice veterans offer to neophytes, as they deploy for aviation maintenance in Kuwait.

"It takes a strong family to support a military family," Captain Leon Parham said.

Capt. Parham said sendoffs keep you focused, and they remind you why you work hard to come back.

"An idle mind will always mess up a soldier. If he's not doing something, he'll be thinking about something else other than the mission," Capt. Parham said.

For the families now, it's Facebook, Facetime, and Skype to stay in touch, as the soldiers and families start the year long countdown.