Photo By Master Sgt. Gary Witte | U.S. Army Capt. Kateah Plummer of Decatur, Ga., the commander of 461st Human Resources...... read more read more
DECATUR, Ga. - It never hurts to tell a deploying soldier that they shouldn’t forget to write – even when they belong to a postal services unit.
Members of the 461st Human Resource Company said farewell to another one of their platoons March 9 at the Army Reserve Center in Decatur, Ga. The 5th Platoon leaves for mobilization training this month in preparation for a 10-month deployment in Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Capt. Kateah Plummer of Decatur, Ga., the company commander, told the Soldiers that even though the platoon would be serving under another command, they will still have support from their home unit.
“We’re going to keep in contact as much as we can,” Plummer said. “You do the same.”
The Army Reserve company has remained on a high deployment tempo since 2007. In fact, the unit’s 6th Platoon went to Kuwait in December just to take over the postal mission there from the company’s 8th Platoon, Plummer said. The company’s 4th platoon left for deployment in January.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Latecia S. Brown of Barnesville, Ga., the 5th Platoon leader, said she previously deployed to Kuwait with a transportation unit and understands how important postal services are to the Soldiers.
“Every time I got a piece of mail, I felt happy,” she said. “So now I get a chance to do that for someone else.”
As with any deployment, the soldiers prepare to leave friends and family behind. U.S. Army Spc. Kentavian J. Bryant of Mobile, Ala., a human resources specialist with the unit, said he will be getting married to his longtime girlfriend three days prior to mobilization.
They intend to stay in touch via social media, but he also plans to make it up to her with a family trip to Disneyworld upon his return – followed by a honeymoon in Puerto Rico.
“She wasn’t too happy, but she’s OK with it now,” Bryant said.
U.S. Army Cpl. LaToya M. Burnette of Anniston, Ala., who handles personnel issues for the platoon, is one of several who volunteered to go. She came back from Afghanistan in 2012 and hopes to share what she learned with the Soldiers in the unit who haven’t been overseas yet.
“I’m ready to go, hooah. I want to have many, many more [deployments],” Burnette said. “I want to be able to help someone like somebody helped me.”
Plummer said as part of their duties the soldiers will work 24-hour shifts, not just delivering and receiving the mail, but also inspecting outgoing packages for illegal, hazardous or inappropriate items. They also can set up mobile delivery sites for units located in remote areas.
She said every platoon from the 461st has received official accolades from the units after completing their overseas missions.
“We’re pretty essential for the successful morale of troops,” Plummer said.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2014 17:28 |
| Story ID: | 122255 |
| Location: | DECATUR, GA, US |
| Hometown: | ANNISTON, AL, US |
| Hometown: | BARNESVILLE, GA, US |
| Hometown: | DECATUR, GA, US |
| Hometown: | MOBILE, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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