HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. - It was a beautiful morning at Fort Pulaski, as Family and friends of the 416th Transportation Company, 260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, came together for a deployment ceremony, Oct. 13. The 416th Trans Co. deployed to Kuwait, Oct. 20, where they will spend the next year providing security for convoys and keeping them safe, running gun trucks, and recovering and transporting equipment back to the U.S.

Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Brown, 260th Quartmaster Bn. commander, shared a few words with crowd, revealing his confidence in the abilities of the 416th Trans Co.

"I have all the faith and confidence in this company," he said. "They are ready to deploy and complete their mission."

Captain Chip Autry, 416th Trans Co. commander, spoke to the Families, commending them for their strength in dealing with the deployment of their Soldiers. He also gave a brief description of the mission the Soldiers will be doing while in Kuwait.

"It's not a glamorous job, but I'm glad to be able to do it and do it right," he said. "There (is too much) lost equipment out there, and I will be glad to recover it and help save America's money."

The Soldiers of 416th Trans Co. have a positive attitude toward the deployment; Sgt. Donald Twyman feels like it's just another deployment.

"It's just a job that has to be done; we all have to do it sometime," he said.

Sergeant Twyman and his wife, Pvt. Abigail Twyman, are both Soldiers in 416th Trans Co.

Sergeant Andrew Jackson said he would rather be in Iraq, but thinks that Kuwait is a good first deployment for Soldiers.

"I think it's good for them to see the different transitions in the weapon systems between Iraq and Kuwait," he said. This will be his first deployment since his daughter was born.

No one is ever happy to see Soldiers go overseas, and the Families of 416th Transportation Company are no exception.

Annie Zeigler understands that this deployment is something her grandson, Sgt. Kasee Zeigler, has to do.

"He is my eldest grandson, and we are very close," she said. "This is (his) first deployment, but he spent a long time preparing me for this."

Even though some Family Members are unhappy about the deployment, for many it is not their first.

The 416th Trans Co. has all the support and confidence they can get from their superiors.

"I'm not worried at all about this mission; we have a lot of good camaraderie, everyone is close," said 1st Sgt. James Harris, unit first sergeant. "I just want to thank everyone for their support."

First Lieutenant Marcia Thompson, 416th Trans Co. executive officer, feels that this mission is one that the unit will excel in.

"The Soldier's adapted very well from transportation missions to gun truck missions," said 1st Lt. Thompson, whose job will consist of tracking Soldiers, maintenance and training.

At the end of the ceremony, Soldiers provided a historical background of Fort Pulaski as well as a canon demonstration. Captain Autry chose the location because he thought it would be a great experience for Soldiers and their Families. Fort Pulaski was built in 1847, prior to the Civil War.

The Battle for Fort Pulaski during that war was brutal but significant. The constant bombardment of "rifled" artillery shells during the battle was slowly ripping apart the fort. This battle helped military strategist realize that they had to revise the structure of forts against the new weapon of war.

"It is a beautiful place, a lot of history. I believe it's a place a Soldier should come to at least once."

Once the ceremony was over, Soldiers of the 416th Trans Co. and their Families gathered for an afternoon picnic.

The Soldiers of the 416th Trans. Co. said their final good-byes to their Families before boarding the flight that would ultimately bring them to Kuwait, Oct. 20.