Hundreds of family members and friends cheered for members of an Indiana National Guard unit based in Kokomo who are being deployed to Kuwait.

Dignitaries including Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Sens. Joe Donnelly and Todd Young joined in Tuesday evening's departure ceremony for about 250 members of the 38th Sustainment Brigade at the Kokomo Event Center.

The National Guard says the soldiers will be performing operations in countries such as Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

Holcomb thanked the soldiers for answering the call of duty and said Indiana was sending some of its best on the deployment.

The unit's next stop is Fort Hood, Texas, for additional training before the troops are sent overseas.