Two military aircraft left Nova Scotia's 14 Wing Greenwood Friday night to join the mission against ISIS in Iraq.

The CP-140 Aurora aircraft are heading to the Middle East to help in the fight over Iraqi skies. A total of 80 pilots and personnel are going; 46 left previously and 34 left Friday.

Locals are paying attention.

“You can't live in a community like this and not have feelings with respect to what's happening right now. I can say from my perspective I wish them the very most of God's grace,” said Bonnie Durling, whose husband works at Greenwood.

The auroras will be used for reconnaissance. Canadian aircraft also deployed over Libya three years ago.

“Everybody experiences separation differently. Everybody experiences deployment differently. Some of them have been through this multiple times, for some it's the first experience,” said Diana Montgomery of the Greenwood Military Family Resource Centre

The contingent from Greenwood is part of a larger Canadian force leaving this week, including six fighter jets from Alberta that left departed this week and a refuelling plane from Trenton.