A soldier from the Macedonian Army hugs

A soldier from the Macedonian Army hugs his son and daughter during a ceremony before their deployment to Afghanistan, in Tetovo, west Macedonia, January 8, 2010. In the eighth rotation of the ISAF mission, 149 members of the 2 Mechanized infantry brigade took off for Afghanistan, who will be deployed at the ISAF main command in Kabul together with the oldest national representative and two staff officers. Members of the brigade, called Leopards, will execute their tasks in the frameworks of the UK Army contingent in a period of six months. They will be in charge of guarding the main command of ISAF forces in Kabul, patrolling and guarding the military base and facilities that are of vital importance to Afghans.AFP PHOTO/ROBERT ATANASOVSKI (Photo credit should read ROBERT ATANASOVSKI/AFP via Getty Images)