485th Preventive Medicine Detachment returns after nine-month deployment to support CENTCOM ops

Photo By Chuck Cannon | Staff Sgt. Joseph Clifford, 485th Preventive Medicine Detachment, 115th Combat Support Hospital, lifts his 3-month-old son Joshua for the first time, as his spouse, Samantha, and older sons James, 8, and Samuel, 7, look on. The reunion took place during a redeployment ceremony for the 485th Med Det Jan. 12 at Fort Polk’s 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Gym.  

FORT POLK, LA, UNITED STATES

01.12.2018

Story by Chuck Cannon 

Fort Johnson Public Affairs Office

The Soldiers are assigned to the 485th Preventive Medicine Detachment. They were based at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, but conducted operations throughout the Middle East.
Maj. Scott Stanley, 485th Med Det commander, said it’s always tough being away from home, but the unit’s Soldiers stayed busy and covered a lot of area.
“We had several missions for our Soldiers,” he said. “We supported Operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve, and had personnel in seven different countries at any given time.”
Stanley said the 485th Med Det provided what is referred to as “role three — preventive medicine” for all of U.S. Army Central Command. He said “role three” includes environmental surveillance, food sanitation, inspections of facilities, food, water and soil and basic sanitation assessments.
“We had a lab added on so we had a microbiologist, epidemiologist and biochemist, and a pretty sophisticated lab setup in our facility,” Stanley said. “We could run water, soil, air and human samples. The complexity of the mission and many different elements and bosses — or stakeholders — to support, who had their own needs, was an education for me. We have plenty of lessons learned to bring back to our home station.”
The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk command team, Maj. Gen. Gary Brito and Command Sgt. Maj. David Bass, addressed the returning Soldiers.
Brito, JRTC and Fort Polk commander, said it was a special honor for him to greet the Soldiers on their return.
“I was here nine months ago when these Soldiers deployed,” he said. “This is a small detachment, but what you don’t know is that even though they operated and hung their hat in Kuwait, they travelled all across the Central Command area of responsibility, including Syria, Jordan, Afghanistan, you name it.”
Brito said the work done by the 485th Med Det Soldiers allowed those in theater to sustain their operations, stay healthy and make things work.
“We at JRTC are very proud of you, and look forward to turning you back over to your Families for a simple reunion,” he said.
Bass, JRTC and Fort Polk command sergeant major, said it was impossible to list all the unit accomplished during its deployment, “but you know what you did. I want you to remember who you are, what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished as a Soldier.”
Bass said the Soldiers were able to do their jobs, did them well, and were now back on free soil.
“You have no idea what your Family has gone through as they have no idea what you have gone through,” he said. “I’d ask that when you reunite, you try to have mutual respect for what they’ve been doing for the last nine months. You’re not going to catch up nine months all in one day. Enjoy your time with your Family, we’re glad to have you home and we’re proud of you.”
Iantha Stanley, the 485th commander’s spouse, said the past nine months had its ups and down.
“You go through different phases,” she said. “In the beginning, you’re sad to see him go, then you adjust to them being gone, and then you start to get anxious as it gets close to their return. Then at the tail end, schedules change, flights are delayed and everyone is super anxious. We’ve been saying ‘soon’ for about a week now and we’re ready for him to be home.”
Stanley’s daughter, Tessa, 13, said she was glad to have her father home.
“It’s been different not having him around,” she said. “We spent a lot of time together, we did a lot of activities, and I missed that. I’m looking forward to spending time with him again. I’m going to be very happy to see him.”
Maj. Eric Nava, 115th CSH, said he was glad to welcome the Soldiers home.
“It’s been an exciting time for them to do their mission, to actually do the job they came into the military to do,” he said.
“We get them back now, and will integrate them back into the unit and with their Families. They’ll be able to share their experiences with the rest of the team here, and let them know how they were able to take advantage of the training we do at home station.”

• Date Taken: 01.12.2018
• Date Posted: 01.26.2018 11:00
• Story ID: 263377
• Location: FORT POLK, LA, US