All were bound for an unprecedented farewell ceremony for the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3,400 Indiana National Guard soldiers being deployed to Iraq after two months of intense training.

Some 20,000 family and friends crowded into the RCA Dome, halved by a curtain at midfield behind which the troops had garrisoned their gear. Where Peyton Manning would stand in the huddle, duffle bags lay on the artificial turf.

A rock band in fatigues entertained the crowd, which at first glance appeared like any other sporting event throng. A closer look betrayed both their pride and concern for the loved ones they were seeing off into battle.

The soldiers didn't quite march into their seating area. Instead, it reminded me of a university graduation exercise. As a more traditional band flourished a military beat, some soldiers were on cell phones, some waved to the crowd, others kept an eye out for their loved ones. But this was no graduation. This was a call to arms.

I sat a few rows back of the last row of soldiers, straining to understand what the many speakers were saying in their addresses. The sound system is not designed for people on the field to hear it.

No fewer than twelve, TWELVE men rose to spoke, and with each one the troops fidgeted, not quite as roused by the rhetoric as their relatives. The Indy mayor, six Congressmen (interestingly Baron Hill was not one of them), Colts GM Bill Polian, the soldiers' commander and Major General, Senator Richard Lugar and Governor Mitch Daniels.

What struck me is how some congressmen displayed more fire in the belly than the troops. What seemed to resonate most with the soldiers were the testimonies to the families left behind and their pledge to do what they could for them. That the elected officials were "just a phone call away."

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar brought the most sobering approach to the event, saying that there was no clear end in sight to the war, adding that this is a critical year for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hoosier soldiers will play a pivotal role, he said.

He added that anyone who has joined or reenlisted in the National Guard since 9/11 knew full well what they were getting themselves into. The changing nature of the guard and reserves being called upon to wage war has been a topic of much discussion. These men and women volunteered.

One of the few acknowledgements of the otherwise unspoken war dangers came from Col. Courtney Carr, who will be their commander in Iraq. Speaking to the families, he referenced frustration from some families about training in the past year that had sometimes pulled the citizen soldiers away from home at inconvenient times.

"Well trained units perform better in combat," Carr explained. "Well trained units suffer fewer casualties."

Their mission is dangerous, convoy security and route reconaissance.

My thanks to the soldiers and their families who spoke to me. I welcome anyone to let me know about your soldier or experience in Iraq or Afghanistan. joe.arnold@whas11.com