Southern Oregon Animal Vet Heads Off to War

A Klamath Falls animal doctor is preparing for the largest Oregon National Guard deployment since World War II.

More than 3,000 Oregon National Guardsmen and women are preparing to leave to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now Doctor Rich Long is taking a journey from animal vet, to military vet.

He devotes his life to his family, his animal clinic and now his country.

"It can get really depressing," his wife Lori Long says.  

His wife isn't the only one missing the doctor already.

Dr. Samantha Wilson is just one person Dr. Long's been a father figure too, besides his four children.

"He's been watching out for me and keeping an eye on me and that's what he loves to do he likes to take care of people that's part of the duty he's taking on for his country and that's what he believes in," she says.

Now Wilson's working extra hours to keep his family animal practice alive while he's on the front lines.

"We're sacrificing more, he's sacrificing more for the country for us as well so we want him to come back soon so we're willing to do what it takes," she says.

Shadee Arvallo is another person Dr.Long's took under his wing.

The recent high school graduate leaves for Iraq with the guard in few months.

"I'll know that I'm in some way with him when I go," she says.

For now, everybody knows Dr. Long will be watching out for them.

He's in Kansas preparing for the deployment now, his family says he'll be back at the end of the summer.