Posted on 05/05/2014 12:43:21 PM PDT by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — It was zero-dark-thirty — a military term to express something really early, a time when even the sun is slumbering.
But the Murr Community Center was full of soldiers and family members, although some of them were taking cat naps, stretched out on the floor or with heads on tables.
Others, especially children, were flashes of energy at 3:45 a.m., belying the truth it was still bed time.
Sunday was the day the second contingent of 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion soldiers were deploying — the first group left Thursday — this time eventually to Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The first contingent went to Afghanistan.
Knots of families gathered, some laughing, others talking quietly.
Alba Bido mixed baby formula for her and Spc. Xavier Del Rio’s 4-month-old daughter, Xairis.
When it was mixed, dad fed the baby, gently rocking, her knowing the next time he will be able to hold her is when she is 13 months old.
Mom said, he’ll miss “her teething her first steps and her first birthday.”
It was two months ago when the family came to Fort Huachuca from Fort Bragg, N.C.
And it was then Xavier learned he would be deploying for his first time.
“It was a surprise,” he said.
Another going on her first deployment is Spc. Jessica Mortimer.
As she walked around the center, she carried the battalion’s cased flag.
On a backpack was a 12-year-old rather worn teddy bear given to her by her 21-year-old sister
“I went home on block leave and Melissa gave me her old teddy bear for good luck,” said the soldier, who is the battalion commander’s driver.
At the time of the interview at Murr, she said she didn’t know what name she would give the stuffed bear, but at Libby, just before boarding the commercial contract flight she said, “He’s going to be Mr. Teddy.”
And it just might be Mr. Teddy’s first of many flights with the specialist. As she said, “I intend to make the Army a career, so he’ll go on many deployments with me.”
As the sun began to rise those who were napping or down right having snoring sessions, began to awake.
Battalion commander Lt. Col. Dave Thomas said he knew deployments are especially hard on families and he appreciates the sacrifices they are making by supporting their soldier.
To the deploying soldiers, who he knows are trained and ready, he asked them “to look out for your fellow soldiers and give 100 percent, every day.”
The 40th is part of the 11th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade and the commander, Col. James Parks came to the deployment ceremony from his headquarters at Fort Hood, Texas.
He too noted, “this is hard, taking soldiers away from their families,” but the 40th will be one of three of the 11th’s four battalions who will deployed at the same time, Parks said.
When superior communication units are needed, “they look to us,” the colonel said.
But although soldiers will be in a deployed status, Parks said “keep in touch with your families … nine months from now the happy part will be the return.”
After the short speeches, those in the community center had about a half hour before the soldiers boarded five busses to take them to Libby Army Airfield.
It was a fast 30 minutes until the soldiers were called to pick up some of their gear and they marched out, and as they passed Maj. Scott Huntley, the rear provisional commander of the battalion, each got a fist bump from him.
Tears were flowing down many family members faces and a few being shed by departing soldiers as well.
One soldier broke the sadness causing many to laugh as he looked out a bus window yelling: “Take me off this bus. Take me off this bus. I just found out where we’re going. Take me the hell off this bus.”
May God Bless and keep them safe.
Technically, zero-dark-thirty is 12:30 a.m. But it is really early.
Tough to say goodbye to the little ones. Especially at these butt-early movements to the airport/AFB. When I went to Afghanistan, we had a 0200 formation for a 0330 movement to Seattle. My two-year old daughter was not too enthralled with being awake at that hour, and it was very hard saying goodbye to her and my wife.
I hope these folks can keep focused on the task at hand and get back unscathed with 100% mission accomplishment.
God bless them and their families.
Been there, done that.
I watched their plane land at 0800 Sunday morning. They had a very long wait if their initial formation was 0345!
There’s a surprise....
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