Fort Wainwright's C Company departs to Iraq
Published Tuesday, November 18, 2008
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FAIRBANKS — Capt. David Chappell is ready to return to Iraq.
“I gained a lot of experience flying in that environment,” he said of his previous deployment. “It’s a harsh environment with the dust and the night. It’s definitely an acquired skill.”
Chappell, along with the 130 soldiers who make Fort Wainwright’s Company C, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, will soon head to Iraq for a 12-month tour of duty during which they will provide medevac service to injured soldiers in the field.
“I talk to people there, and the number of medevacs has been going down,” Chappell said. “That tells me there’s not so much less of a threat, but there are less people getting injured. I guess things are heading in the right direction.”
Col. Edward B. Daly, the deputy commander of U.S. Army Alaska, stressed the importance of the company’s work during a deployment ceremony Monday afternoon on base.
“To those injured, the first sign of relief is when someone says medevac is coming,” Daly said.
The deployment of C Company has hit the Interior especially hard since it also forced the Army to suspend its Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic program since July. The service, which aided in thousands of rescues since the mid-’70s and gave soldiers much-needed training, is being provided by the Air National Guard and private companies.
Lt. Col. Kelly J. Peitz, the commander of the unit, noted how difficult it was to prepare for the deployment since he was initially told that while the company was made of 85 men and women, he needed several dozen more to be ready for Iraq.
“I soon learned that the way we were going to deploy to Iraq would require something more than the standard medevac company,” he said.
Soldiers from other companies volunteered to fill the spots, including one who is postponing retirement and two who are leaving small children with their grandparents for the next year, Peitz said.
Sgt. Kyle Clark is in a similar situation, leaving his 9-month-old son with his wife. Still, he said he was looking forward to the mission.
“I’m pretty excited about going,” Clark said. “I’m ready to go save lives.”
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
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