Army Reserve chemical Soldiers depart for yearlong deployment
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Joshua Land, a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina, and a squad leader assigned to the 300th Chemical Company, 485th Chemical Battalion, 415th Chemical Brigade, 76th Division (Operational Response), talks with Maj. Gen. A.C. Roper, commanding general, 76th Div. (OR) at the Robert Gray Airfield on Fort Hood, Feb. 25 prior to boarding a plane to Southwest Asia for a 12 month deployment in support of U.S. Central Command and the War on Terrorism. Land and nearly 100 Army Reserve Soldiers from the 300th Chem. Co. have have spent the past couple of months conducting a variety of training exercises at Fort Hood to build, hone and maintain their capabilities, readiness and lethality in preparation for the deployment. Land, who works for BMW manufacturing in his civilian career, leaves behind a wife and five kids as he embarks on his third deployment. (Official U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent C. Powell)