By Vanessa Overholser - Staff Writer
Soldiers of the 301st Chemical Company based in Morehead joined members of the 299th Chemical Company at the National Guard Armory Saturday to prepare for their upcoming deployment to Iraq.
Captain Travis Huber said the gathering was to mobilize soldiers and secure soldier readiness before actual deployment.
“We got the alert notice in November that this unit is going to Iraq,” Huber said. “The purpose is to make sure that they (soldiers) have everything in order before leaving for Iraq.”
Commanding officers set up stations to process soldiers from both companies. Processing helps make sure that each individual has their affairs in order before deployment. Those affairs ranged from getting information about religion preferences to obtaining proper life insurance details.
One station included a legal room where lawyers worked with individual soldiers to double check ranks, date of ranks, dates of retirement and secret clearance ranks.
At another station soldiers could confirm personal insurance information such as beneficiaries.
Another room was devoted to a soldier’s personal finances, such as confirmation of rate of pay.
The overall physical health of soldiers was confirmed through physical exam booths located in the Armory’s gym. Medical professionals performed eye exams, gave immunization shots or performed EKGs.
Trailers behind the Armory housed health professionals who pulled and filled teeth, or checked hearing.
“Our job is to get our soldiers from one station to another,” Huber said. “We will actually have 167 soldiers that will be deployed to Iraq.”
Soldiers will leave Morehead for Camp Shelby, Miss. for training sometime in March.
Huber is excited about the upcoming mission. He hopes his men and women will increase leadership as well as other military skills.
Huber, who has been in the Army for 21 years, has been part of many successful missions, he said. It is this success that causes him to be excited about this mission.
“I have half or more of my soldiers who are going that have combat experience,” Huber said. “I am excited about the people who are going with us.”
Most soldiers said they were just doing their job.
“I’m kind of excited, but nervous,” said Private First Class (PFC) Aaron Barbour from Maysville. “My mom does not want me to go. My dad is in this unit. He is a specialist.”
Specialist Justin Tucker is being deployed for the second time.
“I think there is still a lot of work to do in Iraq. Someone has to do the work,” Tucker said. “I hope President Obama will speed things up so that we all will live happily together in peace in this world.”
Jessica Dean, Sergeant of the 299th Chemical Company, said she is just doing her job.
“I’ve been deployed before and I will go again,” Dean said. “That is the Army and that is what we do.”
