Photo By Amabilia Payen | Soldiers from the 305th Engineer Company, Route Clearance, enjoy a meal inside the...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - The 305th Engineer Company (Route Clearance), 315th Engineer Battalion, 301st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, United States Army Reserve, arrived at the Arrival/Departure Air Control Group, Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 13, to begin mobilization training prior to a nine-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., the 305th ENG Company (RC) is comprised of soldiers from diverse areas, with the largest contingents living in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Chicago. After mobilizing and completing a rotation at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., the unit is ready to begin the final phase of deployment preparation here.
Capt. Randall Rice, 305th ENG Company company commander recently took command of the unit. “I am humbled and honored to lead this unit. It’s a terrific group of soldiers,” said Rice. “I want [the training] to be as tough and realistic as humanly possible. We all came [here] to train aggressively. I know we will do very well.”
Spc. Spencer Odill, a third-generation soldier from Nebraska City, Neb., reflected on the upcoming training here.
“No sleep, dusty, crude, out in the middle of nowhere, doing our job,” said Odill.
Sgt. Emilio Driscoll looked forward to the upcoming training because he wants to pass it down to his soldiers and to aid the mission. This deployment will be Driscoll’s first deployment as a noncommissioned officer.
“This one will be different and interesting … to prove exactly what kind of soldier I am,” said Driscoll.
Sgt. Nicole Castle, a heavy equipment operator, is looking forward to her first deployment. “You take what you get and carry on and keep a positive attitude,” she said.
In addition to leaving civilian jobs behind to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom, the soldiers also left family at home.
Rice, from Urbana, Ill., is married and has a 16-month old son. Rice had very little time to prepare for his deployment and couldn’t have done it without his spouse’s support.
“My wife has been amazing through all this,” said Rice.
“Thank you for your support. You guys are the ones we are doing this for. We love you all,” Driscoll stated.
Odill had this to say to his family, “Stay strong. Send gifts, care packages. We’ll be back soon”
“We love them and miss them. I thank them for the support I’ve received throughout the years,” remarked Castle.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2014 18:52 |
| Story ID: | 120785 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | NEBRASKA CITY, NEBRASKA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | URBANA, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 2,831 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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