Med Company Change of Command

Courtesy Photo | Capt. Bradford Membel, the new commander of Company B, 101st BTB, speaks at his change of command ceremony April 20 at Q-West Base Complex.  

QAYYARAH, IRAQ

05.01.2006

Courtesy Story

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Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq - Capt. Bradford T. Membel assumed command of Company B, 101st Brigade Troops Battalion, from Capt. Lee C. Freeman in a ceremony April 20 at the company headquarters building here.

Freeman led Co. B, a sustainment support medical company, through the transformation process and deployment preparations prior to arriving in Iraq August 2005 with the 101st Sustainment Brigade.

As a medical operations and logistics planner, Membel served at brigade headquarters since being assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky., in September 2004.

After an invocation by Maj. Randy Mosteller, battalion chaplain, Capt. Casey Arriaga, company executive officer, gave a brief history of the unit. In addition to providing medical care and logistics at Q-West, Soldiers from Co. B are attached to outlying areas such as Fort Suse, LSA Diamondback and Habur Gate to provide medical care for Soldiers as well as detainees in certain areas.

"Capt. Freeman set the course early for success," said Lt. Col. Daniel W. Gall, commander, 101st BTB. Some of those successes include running the first Eagle First Responder course in the 101st Airborne Division, running a course in medical logistics for the division and giving medical support to the 101st, "all while they transformed for combat."

Co. B Soldiers were also recognized by the International Committee for the Red Cross for the care they have provided to detainees at Fort Suse, said Gall.

"It has been a difficult and challenging 17 months," said Freeman in his remarks. To his Soldiers, he added: "Your finest hour is the [patients"] worst possible moment."

After brief remarks from Membel, the assembled Soldiers sang the 101st Airborne Division Song and the Army Song.

Before coming to brigade, Membel was the commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, U.S. Army Research Institute for Environmental Medicine. He has served as Chief of Personnel for Weed Army Community Hospital, and as a platoon leader and executive officer with Company A, 168th Area Support Medical Battalion.

Membel received a Bachelor of Science in exercise physiology from the University of Southern California. He was commissioned in the Medical Service Corps through the Reserve Officer Training Corps.

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• Date Taken: 05.01.2006
• Date Posted: 05.01.2006 15:10
• Story ID: 6198
• Location: QAYYARAH, IQ