A North Carolina National Guard Soldier assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, bids farewell to a Fort Bliss, Texas, pre-deployment trainer May 19, 2015, as he prepares to leave the U.S. for the unit's deployment to Bahrain. The battery, based out of Lincolnton, N.C., is one of several 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team elements currently deployed or preparing to deploy to the Middle East or Europe. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Dave Chace, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team)