With troops leaving for the Persian Gulf every day, Sgt. Shane Schmidt is preparing himself for deployment.
Sgt. Schmidt is due back at his base in North Carolina on Jan. 25. But because his unit has so much combat experience from Afghanistan, Schmidt says his battalion calls themselves America's Varsity.
Shane's mother only has her baby boy around for a few more days, and she is trying to remain calm.
Diane Schmidt says she doesn't want to put Shane under any more emotional stress.
But all the while he is away, Diane says she will carefully monitor the papers and the evening news, trying to find out where her son is, and to make sure he is OK.
