Photo By Chad Menegay | Capt. Bradley Deramus, chaplain for the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at...... read more read more
FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. — The 54th Quartermaster Company (Mortuary Affairs) held a deployment ceremony Nov. 9 at the Transportation Museum Annex for a detachment of its Soldiers who are deploying to Southwest Asia.
About 30 “Sentinel” Soldiers will support U.S. Central Command by assuming the mortuary affairs mission for a 9-month rotation in the Middle East.
As the U.S. Army’s only active-duty mortuary affairs unit, the 54th has recently operated in countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
“[Our deploying Soldiers] will pick up and continue the good work we’ve been doing over there since July 2023,” said Capt. Peter Kase, commander of the 54th.
Mortuary affairs is a service within the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps tasked with the recovery, identification, transportation, and preparation for burial of deceased American and American-allied military personnel.
The mortuary affairs mission is a significant responsibility, and these Soldiers have a great opportunity to improve the footprint in the CENTCOM theater, Kase said.
“I know some of you are excited, and I can feel that some of you are nervous, and that’s perfectly normal,” Kase said to his Soldiers in his ceremony speech. “Just know three things. One, you have trained well for this and are more prepared than you probably realize. Two, your friends, families and everyone here are proud of you. And three, even though there will be a great distance between us, the organization still has your back.”
In preparation for their deployment, third detachment has trained relentlessly on the Mortuary Affairs Reporting and Tracking System, customs training, weapons qualifications and all mortuary functions, said Lt. Col. Aaron Rogers, commander of the 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, the 54th’s higher headquarters at Fort Liberty, N.C.
“I am confident that each one of you are ready to provide first-class mortuary affairs support in the CENTCOM AOR (Area of Responsibility),” Rogers said.
The team will spread across seven different countries and be responsible for an area equivalent to about one-third the size of the United States, he added.
“This group is very capable and is going forward with some of the best leaders we have,” Kase said.
Other members of 264th, local Soldiers from the 266th Quartermaster Battalion and other 54th friends and family attended the ceremony which began and ended with smiles, hugs, tears, hand shaking and well wishes. The Fort Gregg-Adams command team, including Col. Richard Bendelewski and Command Sgt. Maj. Nickea Harris, attended the ceremony, representing the garrison at the event.
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2024 15:19 |
| Story ID: | 485105 |
| Location: | FORT GREGG-ADAMS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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