LAWRENCEVILLE - While nobody is certain exactly how long the 135th Engineer Company will train in Mississippi before flying to Iraq, two soldiers are fervently hoping to stay stateside for a few more months.

Sgt. Corey Volkman and Spc. Justin Hicks both have wives expecting babies in the spring.

Both men say they expect they will be there when their children are born.

Volkman and Hicks were among about 70 members of the Illinois National Guard who were honored at a deployment ceremony Thursday afternoon in Lawrenceville.

Hundreds of family members and friends packed the gymnasium in the armory in the small Southern Illinois town near the Indiana border.

Several members of the Illinois General Assembly gave speeches to honor and encourage the soldiers.

The troops stood in rows alongside members of their respective squads, standing straight and tall, staring solemnly toward the podium.

State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, promised the soldiers he would "watch their backs," helping family members in every way he can.

"We will pray every day for a safe and speedy return," Righter said.

The 135th is scheduled to board buses for Camp Shelby, Miss., at the Lawrenceville Armory at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

First Sgt. Jerry Harper said it is likely the company will remain in Mississippi five or six months for additional training.

Volkman and his wife, Stefanie, say they like their chances of being together for the birth of their baby, which a physician has predicted will be about June 15.

The last time Volkman was deployed in Iraq, the couple was engaged. Volkman, a Lawrenceville resident, served with the Army's 54th Engineer Company, attached to the 3rd Infantry Division, for the first nine months of the war in Iraq. He was in Kuwait and Iraq for most of 2003.

Volkman's job was to drive and provide security for a colonel. "I was shot at quite a few times," he said matter-of-factly.

Because of his position, he had access to a satellite phone, which enabled him to call his fiancee at least twice a week. He doesn't know if he will be able to call his wife as frequently during his next tour.

Stefanie Volkman said her husband's last deployment was tough on her, but she believes this time will be tougher.

"I hate it, but it's his job, and he wants to do it, so I'll support him as good as I can," she said.

The last time they were apart, it was a new experience for her. This time, as the couple approaches their first anniversary on Feb. 6, she is anticipating the separation with a sense of dread. The soldiers in the 135th are serving under an 18-month deployment order.

"I know what it feels like to miss someone so bad," Stefanie Volkman said, adding she believes the situation in Iraq is worse than it was even during the first days of the war.

Cassie Hicks, who married Justin Hicks on New Year's Day, said her husband's deployment is upsetting, but she was aware he might have to serve overseas when she met him. They are students at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

"I hope he gets to come home and see his baby before he goes over to Iraq," she said. "I know he will come back, but it's scary that he might not."

Ann Ford of Newton, Justin Hicks' mother, put on a brave face about the departure of her 22-year-old son.

"I'm proud of him, very proud of him," Ford said. "I was upset when I first heard he was going, but he said, 'I'm going to fight for those people's freedom.' I trust him, I have a lot of faith in him - "

Then she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands.

Huey Freeman can be reached at hfreeman@;herald-review.com or 421-6985.