Missouri Guard sends smallest unit overseas

By: Ty Stafford
Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

IMAGE+LINK > (Missouri National Guard Photo)
IMAGE+LINK > (Missouri National Guard Photo)
IMAGE+LINK > (Missouri National Guard Photo)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri National Guard said goodbye to its smallest unit at a deployment ceremony at Ike Skelton Training site on Saturday.

The four-Soldier 135th Military History Detachment is deploying to Afghanistan for an 11-month rotation in the Parwan province. There, they will embed with units to analyze activities and collect data and historical information, which will then be sent to the U.S. Army Center of Military History.

"We are a small unit with a big mission," said detachment commander Maj. Donald Loethen. "We will be covering all sorts of units and missions with the overall mission of documenting historical actions in Afghanistan."

The ceremony was the last time most of these Soldiers will see Family, friends and fellow Guardsmen, and allowed many to give their thanks and get words of wisdom from their brethren.

"I'm excited about it. It's kind of a new adventure," said Cpl. Katelyn Martin, of Gower, Mo. "No one is excited about leaving home and Family, but we will meet a lot of new people and we will have a great mission."

At 20, Martin, is the detachment's youngest Soldier and Loethen, 37, is the oldest. As part of a longstanding Missouri National Guard tradition, Martin and Loethen received a Missouri state flag and American flag respectively to bring on the deployment.

"I didn't know about this tradition until now and it's an honor to get to watch over it for the next year," Martin said.

Martin and Loethen are joined by Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Ishmael and newly-promoted Sgt. 1st Class Shelda Sternberg. Sternberg was promoted during the departure ceremony by Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard.

Danner also spoke to the unit in what was one of the smallest deployment ceremonies since overseas contingency operations began in 2001.

"Good things come in small packages," Danner said. "I think great things will come from this small package."

Following the ceremony, the unit left for Camp Shelby, Miss., for the final next stage of training prior to departure for Afghanistan. They have already trained in-state at Camp Clark.

"The training was good - up until that point you don't receive that type of training with the job we do," Martin said. "I feel more confident and prepared now."

Once training is complete, Loethen stated the next greatest challenge for the small unit will be the ability to adapt to situations in country.

"It's an ever-changing environment," Loethen said. "We have to be adaptable and integrate well with the active duty units and their procedures and the operational environment."

The ceremony was attended by several key local and state officials including representatives of U.S. Sen. Kit Bond and U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton.

"You are real American heroes," Missouri State Sen. Carl Vogel told the Soldiers. "We wish you Godspeed and a safe and successful return."

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.