Photo By Amabilia Payen | Maj. Gen. Randall R. Marchi, deputy adjutant general for the Pennsylvania Army...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - U.S. Army National Guard Engineer units from four states deployed May 29 and 30 from the Silas L. Copeland Arrival/Departure Air Control Group to Afghanistan to conduct retrograde operations in support of closing down the war effort.
Leading this deployment was the 877th Engineer Battalion and the 1305th Eng. Detachment Survey and Design Team from Haleyville, Alabama. Rounding out the filled aircraft were the 829th Eng. Company from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, 252nd Eng. Company. from Geistown, Pennsylvania and 379th Eng. Company from Bourne, Massachusetts.
The Directorate and Mobilization and Deployment provided Mobilization Reception Staging for Onward Integration (MRSOI) and logistical support to all five units, as they trained together at McGregor Range, New Mexico.
Spc. Michelle Krubsack, who is a combat medic with the 829th Eng. Co., expressed her excitement and nervousness about the trip. She looks forward to her first deployment. The Wausau, Wisconsin, native works in a group home assisting disabled adults, as she pursues her nursing degree.
“We got some really good extra medic training that we didn’t know we were going to be able to do,” said Krubsack. “It was extremely beneficial to learn from more experienced medics and to get more hands on training right before going over. That was some excellent training.”
Sgt. James Griffin also thinks the training he received was excellent. Compared to his first deployment training back in 2009, Griffin feels the training at Fort Bliss and McGregor Range just made more sense.
“The training in 2009 was done in Wisconsin and it was cold,” said Griffin. “This training is a lot more like what we would be dealing with overseas, because it’s more mountains, dry, dusty, (and) higher altitude.”
Spc. Darla Counce with the 1305th feels like she is deploying with her family.
“We are like a big family,” said Counce. “I think it’s the best unit you could be a part of, we all know each other very well, I guess, because there are only 14 of us. I think that is great especially going over there, because I feel like I am with my family, going overseas. They are all a great bunch of people.”
In the cool night of May 29, Maj. Gen. Randall R. Marchi, deputy adjutant general for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, stood on the tarmac at the foot of the stairs, which lead up towards the departing aircraft. A small drizzle of rain fell on the Soldiers as they made their way towards Marchi to shake his hand, and make their way into the plane. One by one, Marchi thanked them for their service.
“It’s gratifying for me to be here just to tell these great Soldiers ‘thank you for your service.’ I think it’s important that senior leaders are here when they depart and when they return,” said Marchi.
Marchi has witnessed Soldiers come and go on deployments for the last ten years of his Army career. Marchi will to retire the next two days after his visit to Fort Bliss, and this send-off was a bittersweet ending to his military career.
“Over my career, one thing I do remember, is I have Soldiers come up continuously, and say ‘Sir you may not remember me, but you were on the tarmac, at 3 o’clock in the morning when I left, and you were there when I was coming off that plane.’” said Marchi. “So it’s a great feeling for me as a leader.”
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2014 16:37 |
| Story ID: | 133408 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | BOURNE, MA, US |
| Hometown: | CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI, US |
| Hometown: | GEISTOWN, PA, US |
| Hometown: | HALEYVILLE, AL, US |
| Web Views: | 4,051 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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