7230th Army Medical Support Unit deploys

  • Published
  • By Megan Just
  • 456 AMW Public Affairs
1/5/2011 --  Friends and family members said good-bye to the Soldiers of the 7230th Medical Support Unit in a deployment departure ceremony Jan. 5 at the Hap Arnold Club.

More than 60 Army reservists will be leaving their civilian jobs while they deploy from their headquarters at March's Armed Forces Reserve Center to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. They will be deployed for a year.

"This is exciting, but it is also a big challenge for us as a unit, as Army reservists and for the family who is staying behind," said Lt. Col. Roberto Reid, 7230th commander in his speech at the departure ceremony.

"We will do our best and we will set the standards for those who come after us," he said.

The members of the 7230th will be operating a Soldier Readiness Program clinic where they will medically evaluate troops from all branches of military service who are deploying or returning from deployment.

Colonel Reid, who, in his civilian job, is the director of the Social Work and Language Services Departments at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, said the 7230th's Soldiers will be processing up to 200 servicemembers a day.

"They are not going into harm's way and we are thankful for that, but they will be serving people who are going into harm's way," said Col. Kevin Nelson, commander of the 7230th's higher headquarters, the 6252nd U.S. Army Hospital in San Diego, Calif.

During his speech, Colonel Nelson focused on the support role higher headquarters plays while the 7230th is deployed. "Family and Soldiers: know that there are people back here to help you. We are here to serve you. We are here to take care of you," he said.

Colonel Nelson and the other ceremony speakers thanked the family members for their understanding and sacrifices during the deployment. Colonel Reid reminded the audience that one of the most difficult aspects of a soldier's mobilization is the stress of what's going on with his or her family back home. Even though the Soldiers will not be leaving the country, he said, it doesn't make the separation from family any easier.

The ceremony's guest speaker was Maj. Gen. Robert Kasulke, commanding general of the Army Reserve Medical Command in Pinellas Park, Fla. General Kasulke, a reservist, traveled to March from Geneva, N.Y., where he is a physician. He spoke about the 7230th's contributions to the medical aspects of the Soldier Readiness Program.

"We can't deploy people without this part of the process. They're filling a great need that the Army has," he said.

During his speech, General Kasulke described his impressions of the 7230th's reservists as he looked at them sitting at tables in a reserved section of the ballroom.

"I see people in uniform who not only want to be in uniform but want to do a good job in uniform. This is important, especially in the medical field. We can't accept mediocrity," he said.

The majority of the Soldiers in the 7230th Medical Support Unit live in Southern California. They will be augmented by a reservist from Arizona, as well as several Army reservists from Washington who will be "mobilized in place."