581st Area Support Medical Company Deployment

By SPC Alisha HaukJuly 8, 2010

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1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A child grips his father as he readies to deploy after a deployment ceremony held for the 581st Area Support Medical Company, 61st Multi-functional Medical Battalion, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and 59th Transportati... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers with the 581st Area Support Medical Company, 61st Multi-functional Medical Battalion, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) bow their heads in prayer during an invocation spoken at their deployment ceremony held at Ab... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers with the 59th Transportation Detachment render honors to the colors during their deployment ceremony held at Abram's Field House on Fort Hood, Texas July 3. The unit is headed to Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan for a 12 month tour of duty. (U.S. A... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas - A deployment ceremony was held for the 581st Area Support Medical Company, 61st Multi-functional Medical Battalion, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the 59th Transportation Detachment at Abrams Field House July 3.

The units deployed to Camp Phoenix, Kabul and Kandahar Air Base Afghanistan for a 12 month tour of duty.

"We're going there to provide what we called the Level 1 and Level 2 health service support at Force Health Protection," said Capt. Jon M. Basham, company commander, 581st ASMC, the company deploying to Kandahar Air Base. "Basically, we'll be running a clinic over there - be handling all of the sick call operations. So, if someone comes in with a cold or a runny nose, we'll treat him. We'll also have limited trauma capability."

This is not the first deployment for many of the Soldiers in these units. The multiple deployments take their toll.

"It's not the easiest thing in the world, leaving your family," said Capt. Audrey Bledsoe, detachment commander, 59th Transportation Detachment. "The second time it's a little bit easier because you know the steps that are going to happen and it's not quite as much an unknown feeling, but it's never easy when you say goodbye to your family."

The detachment will be performing movement control operations while deployed to Camp Phoenix.

Both units have trained for their upcoming missions and both commanders said they are confident in their Soldier's capabilities to perform while deployed.

"We've trained hard for this," Bledsoe said. "We did a certification exercise in March when we trained with the 436th Aerial Support Squadron - which was the winner of the Squadron of the Year competition in 2009 on how to do airfield operations. So, we really feel like we're ready to accomplish our mission."