ARARAT — Tyler Chilton knew when he enlisted in the Army he would be required to be a part of the Individual Ready Reserves (IRR), but he didn’t expect the letter that he got in the mail a month ago that informed him that he would be serving in Afghanistan, again.

Chilton was surrounded by his family Sunday at this grandmother Jewell Tilley’s home as family and friends bid him a safe trip overseas.

The 26-year-old will be leaving behind his wife of almost two years, Audra. He will also be leaving his job as a Winston-Salem police officer. He will be going to Fort Benning on April 5, and his tour could be as long as 400 days.

So far during his career with the Army, he has been deployed to Afghanistan for one year, Italy for three years and Iraq for six months. He underwent training in Germany. So while he is familiar with being deployed, he is also not happy about leaving his young wife behind.

“We are going to have to put our life on hold for a while. When I signed up, I knew this could happen. So I will go and fulfill my obligations,” Chilton said.

Chilton graduated from East Surry High School in 2000 and joined the U.S. Army in January of 2003.

He is a member of an infantry unit and does not know where exactly in Afghanistan he will be deployed. He said the last time he was there, he was located in a remote area of the mountains where he sometimes went months without showering. He is hoping to be closer to a base this time so he can keep up communications with his wife.

Audra Chilton said her emotions about his deployment have been “all over the place.” She said she does not yet know what to expect while her husband is overseas.

“I guess I will try to stay busy,” she said. She plans on sending care packages as often as possible. “I plan on keeping him spoiled.”

The couple had planned to go on a cruise in May, but that had to be canceled. They are, instead, going on a trip to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., for a week before he leaves.

Audra is a CPA and works for an accounting firm in Winston-Salem. She said right now is the busiest time of the year at her job.

“They have been really understanding about everything. They are letting me have a week off to spend with him before he leaves,” she said.

His father, Ronnie, said that his is really proud of his son.

“We hope that everyone supports him, and I think that if the people sending him over there would have to go fight, this war would already be over,” he said.

Chilton’s mother, Judy, said she is really sad to see her son leave for another tour of duty in Afghanistan.

“We are going to leave it in the Lord’s hands. A lot of churches and people are praying for him already. We are praying that he will come home safely,” she said.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.