South Carolina Army National Guard Aviation Support Battalion deploys to Kuwait

By Sgt. 1st Class Joe CashionJune 23, 2015

351st Aviation Support Battalion departure ceremony
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers and families from the 351st Aviation Support Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, attend a departure ceremony at the Sumter Armory in, Sumter, S.C., June 6, 2015. The soldiers will deploy to Texas for training prior to departing to... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
351st Aviation Support Battalion departure ceremony
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. R. Van McCarty, Assistant Adjutant General, South Carolina National Guard speaks to the soldiers and families from the 351st Aviation Support Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, during a departure ceremony at the Sumter Armory i... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
351st Aviation Support Battalion departure ceremony
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers and families from the 351st Aviation Support Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, attend a departure ceremony at the Sumter Armory in, Sumter, S.C., June 6, 2015. The soldiers will deploy to Texas for training prior to departing to... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
351st Aviation Support Battalion departure ceremony
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. R. Van McCarty, assistant adjutant general, South Carolina National Guard talks with soldiers and families from the 351st Aviation Support Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, during a departure ceremony at the Sumter Armory, Sum... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
351st Aviation Support Battalion departure ceremony
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers and families from the 351st Aviation Support Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, attend a departure ceremony at the Sumter Armory in, Sumter, S.C., June 6, 2015. The soldiers will deploy to Texas for training prior to departing to... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina Army National Guard's 351st Aviation Support Battalion (ASB) answered the country's call to duty as 49 Soldiers deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Spartan Shield following a departure ceremony Saturday, June 6, 2015, at the Sumter Armory in Sumter, South Carolina.

"These Soldiers are ready. They are equipped and they know what they have to do in order to go forward and be successful," said Brig. Gen. Van McCarty, the assistant adjutant general for South Carolina.

The Soldiers departed to Fort Hood, Texas, for several weeks of training prior to leaving for Kuwait. The unit will be deployed for approximately one year and as they leave families and friends behind, they seem ready for the challenge.

"Morale is high," said 1st Lt. Brittany Lemon, detachment commander. "We have a lot of Soldiers that are already deployed in country. Those Soldiers have more wisdom and knowledge which they share with the group so it keeps everybody motivated."

More than 150 Soldiers from the same unit deployed to Kuwait in February of this year, and these additional Solders will join them overseas.

"We're ready to go and put all our skills and training to use," said Lemon.

The 351st is commanded by Lt. Col. Donald "Pete" Nelson, and will be providing support in theater to the 185th Theater Aviation Brigade (TAB) with maintenance, fueling, and logistics operations.