333rd Military Police Brigade bids farewell to family and friends

News: 333rd Military Police Brigade bids farewell to family and friends

200th Military Police Command

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Story by Spc. Kathryn Summerhill Subscribe To This Journalist

Spc. Kathryn Summerhill

Staff Sgt. Robert Munden with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 333rd Military Police Brigade, poses for a photo with his wife and newborn child at the 333rd's Farewell Ceremony, Aug. 23, 2012 at Hofstra University. the 333rd is leaving for a 9-month tour in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Carolyn Krotowski)

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- As guests walked through a turning door, they felt the pressure the room. Not just from the pressure seal they crossed of the Hofstra University Practice Facility dome, but also the pressure that mounts with any pre-deployment ceremony.

Friends, families, employers and members of the community gathered at Hofstra, Aug. 23, 2012 to bid farewell to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 333rd Military Police Brigade.

HHC will send approximately 100 soldiers to Afghanistan. The soldiers will be supporting the military police mission at Bagram Air Field during a 9-month tour. But, before they can go to Afghanistan, they will head to Fort Bliss, Texas for additional training; training that some of the soldiers look forward to.
“I feel ready to keep learning more and more, and when we get hands on over there it’s going to get easier,” said Spc. Danielle Cabrera, a Stratford, Conn. native and communications specialist with HHC.

However, even before going to Fort Bliss, there was a critical task the soldiers had to complete: saying goodbye to loved ones, people they won’t see for approximately ten months.

Even with the heartache that naturally ensues with something like this, the soldiers are still optimistic, and ready for their mission in Afghanistan, thousands of miles away from home.

“I’m confident. It’s going to be a really good deployment,” boasted 1st Sgt. Gregory Remenicky, first sergeant for HHC and a Stanton, N.J. resident who has a variety of different deployments under his belt, including a tour in each Iraq and Afghanistan. “Everyone is dialed in on what we need to do, not only on the unit level, but also the bigger theater picture.”

The unit will be working under the most recently established memorandum of understanding between the United States and Afghan government to support the Afghan movement towards its strongest sovereignty yet, making this a historical mission.

“It’s an opportunity to really set a cornerstone for the rest of the nation of Afghanistan to work towards,” Remenicky said of the impact of the 333rd’s mission of advising and assisting the Afghan police force in becoming self-sustaining.

A mission of this caliber could be daunting to some, but for commanding general of the 333rd, Brig. Gen. Phillip Churn, it’s just another stepping stone for his brigade.

“We are all there together marching in step. The troops are excited, I’m excited, we have a great mission and we are looking forward to contributing to the army’s mission and the overall mission for our country,” explained Churn enthusiastically.

While the troops are excited, it can only be expected that they will miss their lives here in the States.

When asked what she will miss most while away, Cabrera spoke slowly, deliberately and longingly.

“Family … grass ... home.”