Army Reserve's 452nd Combat Support Hospital hosts farewell ceremony for soldiers

MILWAUKEE -- The U.S. Army Reserve's 452nd Combat Support Hospital hosted a farewell ceremony for nearly 200 soldiers who will be deploying to the Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Spartan Shield. The ceremony was held at the Harley-Davidson Museum on Friday, July 20.

"We're getting ready to go to Kuwait for a nine-month rotation," said Lt. Col. Robert Gerlach, Army Reserve.

Lt. Col. Robert Gerlach will be one of the soldiers providing medical relief to troops abroad.

"To support troops who are going to be coming to our hospital in any kind of basis, throughout Kuwait, who need medical care," said Gerlach.

Working out of field hospitals in combat zones is nothing new to him, but for his wife and family...

"We're always worried about safety, there's risk in whatever we do but we have to just trust that they're trained and there are no surprises and things go pretty smoothly," said Elizabeth Gerlach, spouse of deployed soldier.

For E4 specialist, Kyle Bellaire, it's also a tense moment.

"Just been talking with my mom and I guess allergies are bad right now, she's kind of cracking a little bit," said Kyle Bellaire, E4 specialist with the Army Reserve.

A licensed practical nurse in his first deployment, Kyle Bellaire expects it to be tough.

"Just to keep a positive mindset," said Bellaire. "They always say hunt the good stuff, and that's what we always do. So if I see a battle buddy who's got his head down in the dirt, just try to boost him back up a little bit."

The 452nd Combat Support Hospital will have three missions while it is mobilized to the Central Command area of responsibility. Those missions include: providing theater hospitalization (Role II E/Role III), area medical support (Role II) to camps within Kuwait and medical support to other locations within the operational area as well as to provide forward deployable battle damage teams with a capability for immediate damage control surgery.

The unit is comprised of Army Reserve Soldiers from primarily Wisconsin and Minnesota, and various other states. While in the Central Command area of responsibility, the 452nd CSH will be responsible for hospital operations in Operation Spartan Shield area of responsibility.

During their deployment, soldiers will have the opportunity to use social media and make video calls back home.