FORT POLK, La. — A deployment ceremony for the seven Soldiers of Fort Polk’s 524th Engineer Detachment (Firefighter), 46th Engineer Battalion was held Dec. 13 in Fire Station No. 1, South Fort Polk.
Lt. Col. Christopher Klein, then commander of the 46th Eng Bn and guest speaker for the event, said it was fitting the ceremony was held in the firehouse.
“On a daily basis, the Soldiers of the detachment are fully integrated into the operations of the Directorate of Emergency Services on Fort Polk,” Klein said. “This — and the firehouses across the installation — are their operating facility, and on night shifts, it’s their home. They are on rotation with their civilian counterparts protecting and serving Fort Polk and the communities surrounding the installation.”
Staff Sgt. Jordan Gomez, who returned from a deployment to Europe in April, leads the Soldiers.
“When I found out I was coming to Fort Polk, I called branch and asked what was the catch,” Gomez, a Texas native said. “They told me I would be taking a team back to Europe.”
Klein said Gomez brought a wealth of experience, knowledge and excitement to the team.
“For one month, they worked together, developed procedures for multiple response and rescue missions, and prepared for the deployment,” Klein said. “In mid-November we tested them during a five-day capstone training event certified by expert firefighters from 1st Army and their comrades from the local fire house. They passed without question.”
Klein thanked the firefighters’ Family members and friends for their support. He also challenged the Soldiers to take care of themselves and each other.
“We are proud of all you accomplished these past few months, especially the spirit with which you took on this challenging mission,” he said. “No response is the same. Trust your training and don’t lose your adaptability and flexibility. You have the skills and tools to succeed.”
The 524th Eng Det has a long and storied history, having served in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and Operations New Dawn and Atlantic Resolve, earning multiple unit awards and campaign credits. The detachment will serve a nine-month deployment in Romania, integrating with a unit and serving at different fire stations throughout the area.
Jacob Avila’s spouse, Sgt. Lucy Avila, is deploying. He said it’s going to be tough on him and his son, Troy, who is 15 months old.
“But it’s the military life,” Avila, a former Soldier himself, said. “We just have to adapt and overcome.”
The Avilas call San Antonio home, so Jacob said he and Troy would head back to the Lone Star state while his spouse is deployed.
“It’s going to be hard being a single parent, but I have several nieces and nephews so I’ve got a lot of experience with little kids.”
Anthony Gomez, 11, said he and his siblings, Aryana, 9, and Julian, 1, will miss his dad while he is deployed.
“I’m going to stay busy with sports and outside things,” Anthony said. “It’s really hard since he just returned earlier this year, but hopefully the time will pass quickly.”
Gomez’s spouse, Rosa, said this will be the second Christmas in a row her husband is deployed.
“We’re pretty sad that he won’t be here with us for Christmas, but we’ll try to do what we did last time which is stay busy,” she said. “We have sports and other activities to keep us occupied, and we’ll pray for him and his team to come back safely.”
One of the younger Soldiers, Pvt. Josue Rivera, said this is his first deployment. “I’m excited, a little nervous, and not really sure what to expect,” he said. “I have a great team with great leadership, so I think everything should be fine.”
Rivera said he has a lot of confidence in Gomez. “He told us what we should avoid and what we could expect,” Rivera said.
Although confident in his ability to handle any mission the team might face in Romania, Rivera said he’s not without a little trepidation.
“I’ve lived in America (Florida) my whole life, so this will be a culture shock I’m sure,” he said. There will be different food and a different way of life. It’s a little scary but I think I’ll be fine.”
The Soldiers left for Romania Dec. 15.
| Date Taken: | 12.21.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.21.2018 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 304774 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 524th Engineer Detachment (firefighters) take skills to Romania, by Chuck Cannon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
