California National Guard Soldiers ready for deployment

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

10.17.2008

Story by Spc. John Crosby 

Camp Atterbury Indiana

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By Spc. John Crosby
Camp Atterbury Public Affairs

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. – At Camp Atterbury, Ind., Soldiers of the 49th Personnel Services Detachment of the California National Guard, headquartered in Sacramento, are ready to make the jump from mobilization training to their theater of operations in Kuwait in support of the global war on terrorism the week of Oct. 17, 2008.

The eight-man team, which is currently wrapping up mobilization training here, is slated to link up with their forward element of 30 Soldiers already conducting their mission in Kuwait. These Soldiers are responsible for the accountability, living arrangements and the general administrative records of service members deploying and redeploying in support of the global war on terrorism.

"We're the first familiar faces you see when you get on the ground and the last military faces you'll see before you leave theater," said top non-commissioned officer of the 49th PSD and administrative specialist Sgt. Casey Schmidt from Citrus Heights, Calif. "We're the icebreaker, we put them at ease a little bit and allow them to acclimatize to their new environment."

Most Soldiers deploying overseas spend approximately one week on average in Kuwait adapting to their new home, tying up any loose ends before the final flight or convoy to their respective theaters. It is the Soldiers of 49th PSD's responsibility to ensure this is a smooth and speedy process.

"I fought for the opportunity to command this unit," said 49th PSD Commander, Chief Warrant Officer Miche  R. Norton from Long Beach, Calif. Norton will lead the eight Soldiers currently on the ground to Kuwait where she will take command of the whole unit of 38 troops.

"I am very excited about this mission," she said.

Norton said their mission is to track Soldiers as they move within the area of operations and record when they leave country. This process is known as "the 5Rs" – tracking the initial reception of personnel; replacements; Soldiers returning to duty, Soldiers on rest and recuperation, Soldiers on emergency leave and Soldiers redeploying home. The 49th PSD will provide near real time visibility and accountability of troop movement through Kuwait.

"We receive [the Soldiers] and process them in reception," said Sgt. Jaswanti Chandar, an administrative specialist from Sacramento, Calif. "We give them their initial briefings, provide them [living quarters] and get them to where they need to be whether they're going to Iraq, Afghanistan or returning home. We are the first and last personnel they see to prepare them for [duty] or home."

The 49th PSD provides briefings for all service members, however, being an Army unit, they only process Army personnel.

"We prepare [Soldiers] for their next movement wherever it may be," said Sgt. Juan Becerra of Oakland, Calif. "We set their guidelines right away to create a good foundation of what they're going to need for their next destination."

Becerra, Schmidt and fellow Soldier Sgt. Roman Aquino of Stockton, Calif., all deployed to Kuwait together in 2006. Before returning home in mid-2007, they made a pact with each other that they would deploy together again with the California National Guard in 2008.

"We heard about the upcoming deployment for this year and said to each other 'hey, if you go I go,' and now here we all are," Becerra said.

As for the Soldiers of the 49th PSD who've been deployed, they say the mobilization training here at Camp Atterbury in preparation for their pending deployment has been top notch this time around.

"The training here has been awesome," Becerra said. "The FOB [forward operating base] made a little more sense of what is really like over there. The trainers were very knowledgeable and very easy to work with."

Although maybe not as pertinent to the 49th PSD's mission in Kuwait, the Army Warrior Tasks and Drills have also been re-instilled into these Soldiers to better prepare them for any given situation that may arise.

"The war fighting and battle tasks training was outstanding," Norton said. "It helped form a bond and get us moving as a cohesive team. It was also very beneficial in pointing out the things we needed to build upon."

For the Soldiers not knowing what to expect regarding the upcoming deployment, this training is the first glimpse into what life will be like for the next year. This will be the first deployment for several Soldiers of the 49th PSD.

"The FOB was better than I expected," said Pfc. Trent Tyler of Sacramento, Calif. "I thought we would be in sleeping bags on the ground like basic training. The ranges here are a lot bigger then what I've seen so far. It's helped prepare me a lot."

The veterans of the unit agree.

"All the trainers had combat patches," said Becerra, meaning that each trainer has been deployed before. "They pass on their life experiences. They tell you what they've seen and what they've been through. Hearing firsthand about their experience in life and death situations is a lot more helpful than reading it out of a book."

The 49th PSD is close to completion of their overall training and is ready to put their preparation to good use when they deploy to Kuwait in the following week.