OTTUMWA — The absence of a loved one can be a hard thing.

Many tears were shed Sunday morning by mothers, wives, children and family members as they said goodbye once again to their loved ones who were deployed. The 833rd Engineer Company left for its second journey to Iraq and most said it would be harder this time.

“It never gets easier saying goodbye to your family,” said Spc. Marty McDaniels.

Since the company’s return almost a year-and-a-half ago, McDaniels has started his own family and now has three “little ones.”

“It’s especially hard saying goodbye to the kids,” he said.

“They don’t know what’s going on. All they know is daddy is going to the desert to fight the bad guys,” said his wife Alesia McDaniels.

McDaniels said it is hard on everyone. Though the soldiers know somewhat of what to expect overseas, leaving is the hardest thing to do for them.

Spc. Corey Sallee said it will be intensely difficult for him also because he is going to miss the first 10 months of his baby’s life.

“It will be hard without him here,” said his wife, Heidi Sallee.

“We were just starting to get settled. We got married bought a house and now we have a baby on the way and I have to leave again,” he said.

Corey Sallee said it was an unexpected deployment too.

He was in the bank getting approved for his home loan when he said he received the call that they would be getting deployed for a second time.

“They told him when he came back that they were not eligible again for another three years,” his wife said, with a tearful look in her eyes.

But, Sallee believes the division change of the battalion is what made them eligible at an earlier date. That did not make it any easier for most of the families.

When the battalion returned the first time, spirits were high and families were glad to be reunited. Some did not think this day would come again so soon and some dreaded it.