ALEXANDRIA, La. — Col. Carol Johnson looked at the 296th Medical Company of the Arkansas National Guard as the soldiers prepared to leave for war Monday and said, "Look at them. They’re America."
   When they left Alexandria International Airport on Monday evening, the 117-member unit became the first Arkansas National Guard unit to join the war in Iraq.
   They’re not the only soldiers prepared to go.
   More than 600 Arkansas guardsmen at military bases across the country wait for the call to join Operation Iraqi Freedom.
   The 296th has been at Fort Polk, La., for almost two months awaiting transport to the Persian Gulf. The unit spent its time training, preparing for combat. By Monday most of the soldiers said they were more than ready to go.
   "They hate the fact that they’re just now going," said Capt. Gary Hinkle, commander of the 296 th. "They wanted to go a month ago."
   The soldiers in the 296th call themselves Razorback Rescue. They are the ambulance drivers and medics who carry the wounded off the battle field.
   In a hangar in the lonesome corner of Alexandria International Airport that the Army uses to deploy troops, however, members of the 296th looked more like soldiers ready to fight. They wore Kevlar body armor wrapped around their chests and carried M-16 rifles on their shoulders. The green camouflage attire they left Arkansas in has been traded for tan desert gear, complete with gas masks.
   Waiting for their transport plane to arrive, they wandered around the hangar, some smoking cigarettes, others snacking on Meals Ready to Eat while watching a pickup game of hacky sack.
   Gen. Don C. Morrow, adjutant general of Arkansas, looked out at the game and said, "Just like a bunch of kids. Give them a little time and they’ll play."
   The 296th is closer-knit now than it was three months ago, he said, because of the time members have spent at Fort Polk training, living and eating together. They’ll get even closer once they reach the Saudi Peninsula.
   "Courage comes internally, and it comes as a result of caring for each other," Morrow said.
   Many people over the years have tried to figure out what drives a soldier to make sacrifices on the battlefield, Morrow said. "They do it for each other."
   When he addressed the troops, he stressed that need, promising to take care of the soldiers’ families left at home.
   "But look around. You’re going with part of your family, too," Morrow said. "Take care of each other, and you’re gong to be all right."
   As he spoke, the soldiers stood in formation, some clenching their jaws. Others fiddled nervously with small flags they had shoved into their body armor.
   "They’re proud of the fact they’re going to do their job, but they’re not happy about leaving home. And it’s normal for them to feel that way," Morrow said.
   The soldiers later settled into groups, chatting about what’s to come.
   Staff Sgt. Darlette Williams of Little Rock said she was ready to go. She fought in the Persian Gulf War more than a decade ago and knows that the sooner she goes, the sooner she can return home to her 5-yearold girl.
   "She knows I’m going off to war, but she knows I’m a medic," Williams said. "She knows I help people."
   Staff Sgt. Minnie Gordon of Fort Smith munched on potato chips and fought back nausea as she chatted with a group of fellow sergeants. Among the few personal items she is taking with her is a pillowcase soaked in her husband’s cologne. She keeps it sealed in a plastic baggy.
   "And it stinks," said Staff Sgt. John D. Classen of Charleston.
   Gordon laughed, adding that it’s only to battle homesickness.
   As the topic turned to lucky charms, Staff Sgt. Jimmy Phillips of Greenwood started digging in his pockets for his silver dollar. Staff Sgt. Houston Deaton of Poteau, Okla., pulled out pictures of his grandchildren that he attached to his dog tags.
   "These guys are my lucky charm," Gordon said, pointing to the group.
   The National Guard leadership that flew to Fort Polk to see the unit off grew philosophical as the day progressed.
   "Look at them," said Johnson, commander of the 87th Troop Command, which includes the 296 th. "Look at their young, healthy American faces. We train them to be warriors, but until the reality hits, until they get hardened to the situation, you worry about them."
   As the high ranks mingled with the 296 th, they thought about the reality of war, knowing that some of these soldiers may not return. But none of them rushed to say it.
   The soldiers themselves don’t talk much about it, either.
   "What do I worry about?" Gordon said. "Coming back."