Missouri National Guardsmen deploy to OEF

Photo By Amabilia Payen | Spc. Richard Bryant holds up a book he plans to read during the flight scheduled to take him and his unit, the 276th Engineer Company, Missouri National Guard, to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, April 8, while Kayla St. John (left), a volunteer with the Red Cross, assists other Soldiers from the same unit in finding reading material at the Red Cross table in the Arrival/Departure Air Control Group. “I love interacting with the military, and it is a great way to get involved with the community,” said St. John. (Photo by Amabilia Payen, DoMaD)  

FORT BLISS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

04.08.2014

Story by Amabilia Payen 

Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS Fort Bliss

FORT BLISS, Texas -- After spending over a month of training and preparing for this deployment, the 276th Engineer Company from Pierce City, Mo., deployed April 8 from the Arrival/Departure Air Control Group, here, to a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Capt. Philip Kirk, the company commander, was more than ready and claimed the training his unit received here was excellent and met his intent.

“My goals are to go there, do our mission, and come home, you know, bring everybody back,” said Kirk. “I’d like to thank the Missouri National Guard, the 35th Eng. Brigade and the 203rd Eng. Battalion for all of their support. (The Directorate of Mobilization and Deployment) here was excellent, they treated us like first class.”

Spc. Walter Thorne from Ava, Mo., is 47 years old and is looking forward to his first deployment in his military career. Thorne served for four years in the National Guard when he was younger. He then took a 20-year break to run his farm back home in Ava, Mo., before coming back and enlisting again.

“I read a magazine article of a guy who got back in, and I thought, if he can do it, so can I,” said Thorne. “So I went to see a recruiter and he did the math, and he told me, yeah, you can come back in.” Thorne left the farm to his wife and his three children. “I want to help out the people over there, and do whatever they need me to do,” said Thorne.

Spc. Richard Bryant is a material electrician with the 276th Eng. Co. and also an assistant manager at a gas station in his home town of Neosho, Mo.

“I just want to tell my family, I love you guys, I miss you and I will see you at the end of the year,” said Bryant.

• Date Taken: 04.08.2014
• Date Posted: 04.15.2014 09:34
• Story ID: 125971
• Location: FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: AVA, MISSOURI, US
• Hometown: NEOSHO, MISSOURI, US
• Hometown: PIERCE CITY, MISSOURI, US