THOMAS A. PORTER

“I love serving my country,” Porter stated. “I joined the National Guard to be able to stay at home close to my family.”

He and his wife, Susan, are the parents of two sons, Josh, 16 and Jacob, 12. He enjoys hunting and fishing – anything outdoors.

Porter says he has mixed feeling about being sent to Iraq but the Guardsmen have a job to do.

“Our commanders have made sure we’re trained in order to serve our country as best we can,” he said.

The toughest part about leaving for most all the guardsmen is being away from their loved ones.

“If there is an easy part, it’s knowing every day there is one day closer to coming home,” Porter concluded.