Soldiers from the 7245th Medical Support Unit (MSU), based out of Dover, New Jersey, have cased their guide-on and are now heading home after 11 months of providing deployment medical services at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Processing center.
The duties now go to Soldiers from the 7210th MSU, a Reserve unit from San Antonio, who assumed mission responsibility during a transfer of authority ceremony June 15 at Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center's Prichard field.
Army MSUs provide deployment and redeployment medical services at Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP) centers such as periodic health assessments, immunizations, lab services, health reviews and behavioral health services to ensure thousands of personnel are physically and mentally ready for deployment, mobilization and demobilization.
"As a force multiplier, our mission was to provide fully trained, fully fit and mission-capable personnel to accomplish mobilization plans as dictated by III Corps and First Army," said outgoing commander Lt. Col. Rhonda Wynder, adding that the unit did just that and "demonstrated pride of service by becoming an integral part of Carl R. Darnall healthcare system."
According to Wynder, the 56 members of the 7245th processed more than 43,650 Soldiers for various missions and conducted 80,000 health screenings and pre-and-post health assessments. The unit also processed nearly 55,700 soldiers through immunizations equaling a dollar value of $3 million.
"The MSU worked hard, and the numbers showed it," said Wynder, who complimented the units "herculaneum" efforts since their July 2016 arrival. "It was your heart, and I saw it set in motion since taking command and taking over this mission with you. Though we did not deploy, we made the same sacrifices as those we served so faithfully."
Wynder also emphasized her Soldiers' passion for caring for Soldiers and putting the Soldiers' needs above their own.
"You owned your individual missions, sought ways to improve the efficiency of what you did and were willing to do whatever was necessary to process units through so they could get home to their loved ones for a holiday," she said.
In addressing the unit, Col. Mark Thompson, CRDAMC commander, praised the outgoing Soldiers for their mission accomplishment.
"One of the most important missions that occurs not only at CRDAMC, but on Fort Hood is the SRP mission of outgoing and returning Soldiers to deployments of all components," he said, praising the outgoing unit for their confidence and "quiet" professionalism. "What you do every day is about preparing those units to do those things they need to do and then welcoming those units back when they get here."
Thompson also reminded the activated Reservists about their personal sacrifices in serving the country.
"You can now go home and somewhere, at some point in time, someone in your family is going to ask you what you did during the war," he said, joking with them about their "packed cars and engines running" in their eagerness to return run home to their families. "You will be able to tell people that you served at Fort Hood for a year preparing Soldiers to go down range and come back home. You ensured they were absolutely ready to go when they went down range and got everything they deserved when they got back home."
In accepting the new mission for the 7210th MSU, Lt. Col. Jarvis Darensburg, incoming commander, thanked the hospital commander for the "faith and confidence" in the 7210th and Wynder for her and her units support during the transition.
In addressing his troop, Darensburg told his soldiers that a "journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
"To the Soldiers of the 7210th, that journey has now started," he said. "As we will face each challenge, remember the reason why we are here: to care of Soldiers. We will institute that with the upmost professionalism and confidence. Now, let's go to work."
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