Photo By Maj. Charles Emmons | Private First Class Cassandra Vazquez receives an Army Achievement medal from the...... read more read more
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One hundred ninety-four new Soldiers joined the Georgia Army National Guard during a battle handoff ceremony in Fort Stewart, Ga., April 13, 2024. The ceremony was the culmination of basic training, military occupational specialty training, and administrative processes. Most will now report to one of the Ga. ARNG’s five brigades, and prepare for unit assemblies and annual training. For a select few in the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team “Volunteers”, an overseas deployment is in their immediate future.
Following the official ceremony, the 74 Soldiers of the 48th IBCT received welcoming words of advice from senior leaders of the brigade, and were offered a life-changing opportunity; the choice to volunteer and deploy in a matter of weeks to support the mission of several units already mobilized overseas in Kosovo and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. More than 20 Soldiers raised their hands and demonstrated the motto of the brigade: “Send Me”.
“There is no better place to be a professional Soldier than on a deployment,” said Col. Luke Gaspard, the rear detachment commander of the 48th IBCT, while addressing the new group of Soldiers. “You will learn more about yourself and you will start to earn and build those relationships that you will carry for the rest of your lifetime”.
For Pfc. Cassandra Vazquez, a recent high school graduate and combat medic from Lawrenceville, Ga., a deployment is the first step in a career journey that includes higher education and a future role as a commissioned officer and nurse.
“I joined the Georgia Army National Guard for college benefits and the experience,” said Vazquez. “I want to do ROTC, so I just wanted the background knowledge to help me out as an officer”.
Vazquez, who was awarded an Army Achievement Medal during the ceremony, will defer her college plans for now, gaining extra income and experience while deployed overseas as a full-time medic assigned to the 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment.
The Soldiers who volunteered at the ceremony will not march in parades or receive the pomp and circumstance of the formations that deployed months ago. Instead, they will work quickly with their units to ensure their readiness goals are met including their equipment issue, medical appointments, and having administrative records completed. More importantly, they will prepare their families for the challenges that come with an overseas deployment.
The Soldiers of the 48th IBCT began mobilizing for overseas service in December 2023, with departure ceremonies for the Savannah-based 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment of Calhoun; and Macon-based brigade headquarters.
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2024 20:37 |
| Story ID: | 468502 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 563 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New Soldiers say "Send Me" to deploy overseas, by MAJ Charles Emmons, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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