"I was in basic at AIT in all of 2009 so I didn't get to see family then, then I got to the unit, went to NTC, then went home for 2 weeks, then we were deployed," Private Brett Billingsly in the video. "So by the time I get home, it will be nice to see. It's been a while."
The U.S. military sent the video from Billingsly of Little Rock.
Billingsly works on armored vehicles, among other things, in Afghanistan.
He says his family is supportive, and he gets to keep in touch through the Internet but he admits he's ready to be home.
Pretty soon, Billingsly could be joined in Afghanistan by thousands more Arkansas soldiers.
The National Guard's bureau in Arlington, Virginia, informed commanders in Little Rock that the 39th Infantry Brigade combat team could be needed in Afghanistan in 2012 to help complete a mission.
The guardsmen are now preparing, both physically and mentally, in case that maybe turns into a definite call to active duty.
"How many times has somebody gotten shot at?" Private First Class Christopher Fitzgerald asked his fellow soldiers.
The question is among many on Fitzgerald's mind since finding out he could be headed to Afghanistan in two years.
"As soon as I found out, I called my sister and she's worried," Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald's been in the National Guard's 39th Brigade for barely a year. He says this is what he signed up for and he's ready for the opportunity.
"It feels like Christmas to me, it's like I can't wait, I can't wait, let's go!" he said.
The guard is working to prepare 3,100 soldiers for potential deployment. Though they are not being called up yet, the notice is a heads-up for the troops to prepare for anything in the next two years.
Since 2003, the 39th Brigade has been deployed to Iraq twice. If deployed again in 2012, it will be their first time in Afghanistan.
Some of the soldiers, shown in a training video shot by THV in 2005, returned from their most recent deployment in December 2008. Susan Mumau is one of them.
"It was like, here we go again, and you always have to expect the unexpected," Mumau said.
Captain Chris Heathscott says the brigade's commander is preparing training routines for the troop.
"The training that he'll set aside for those soldiers at this point is basically the basic soldier skills, the rules, and the warrior tasks to help them be successful on the battlefield."
Heathscott says two years out means anything can change.
In the past, notices for deployments have been as short as a couple months.
Mumau says with time to prepare maybe the separation from family will be easier.
"Your family is not just shocked. They have time to understand whatever comes their way," she said.
Fitzgerald says, "If the time comes, it comes; you just have to be ready for it."
The notification for potential deployment now gives the 39th Brigade a chance to receive federal dollars for training.
Also, 2012 mobilization will be just shy of the four years since they returned from their last deployment. That is in line with Army rules which suggest soldiers spend four years at home for every year of active combat.