FORT BENNING, Ga., (June 3, 2015) -- The 14th Combat Support Hospital held a deployment ceremony May 29 as they prepared to deploy Soldiers to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel.
"While the task of being a medic and providing medical care is a fairly straightforward mission, the environment overseas is constantly changing and the configurations that we deploy our Soldiers in must adapt from our normal doctrinal structure," said Col. Paula Lodi, commander, 14th CSH.
During the nine-month deployment, Lodi said the Soldiers would provide basic combat medic care for assigned Department of Defense, U.S. military, coalition forces and U.S. contracted personnel. Spc. Patrick Teer, medic, A Company, 14th CSH, said the unit is being split up between two bases setting up two clinics and will fall in with other medics on site.
Half of the unit recently returned from Joint Readiness Training Center, Lodi said.
"A significant amount of our energy was spent developing and exercising something called mission command - the development of agile, adaptive leaders who can operate and make independent decisions in the absence of direct guidance while executing nonstandard missions," Lodi said.
The unit will have highly visible presence, Lodi said, and exemplifies what the sergeant major of the Army has said is his intent for first-line leaders; NCOs, not just from training and leading standpoint, but also from an execution of mission standpoint.
The deploying team consisted of Soldiers from two subordinate units of 14th CSH - 690th Ground Ambulance Company and A Company.
"My fellow Soldiers who we're going down range with are already Family," said Sgt. Patrick Teer, A Co. "I know for a fact that I can trust them down range to take care of my best interests and our Family's best interest back home."
The team completed mandatory training, theater-specific training requirements that orient them to the nature of the threat in Afghanistan and very clinically oriented training that helps with an advanced level of combat medic care, Lodi said.
Specific training was brigade combat team trauma training in Alaska.
"It was probably the best training I've had in the Army," said Spc. Arturo Arce, A Co. "It was good, real-time training."
Arce said he also finds value in treating people, as he said it creates a special connection with them that no one else has.
"This all speaks volumes of each of your character and integrity and the passion with which you fulfill the Army values," Lodi said.
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