North Country Republican State Senator Mark Walczyk announced on Friday that he will be deploying to Kuwait for nine months.

In a letter from the senator to his constituents, Walczyk says he will be deploying to Kuwait at the end of January. The senator will miss the bulk of the legislative session, which is scheduled to run from January to June. In the interim, his office will continue to field constituent requests and comments.

Walczyk, who serves as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, asked for prayers for his family, staff and the country in his letter and adds that “it’s time to answer the creed” of an American soldier. In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt called Walczyk “a fighter” and said the deployment is “an example of true American patriotism.”