FORT HOOD, TX — As the evacuation efforts continue in Afghanistan, Fort Hood and III Corps have announced that over 1,000 soldiers were assigned to help in those efforts but not in Afghanistan.
III Corps units from Fort Hood and other locations will now be assisting with incoming Afghan evacuees at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin and Fort Bliss in Texas.
III Corps is stepping in to help out step retired Master Seargent Dorothea Goodson and she said she is happy to see it.
”As you continue to bring the people over, it’s important that we assist them in feeding them, housing them, checking on their health conditions. It's important that we support the entire team effort as they enter the United States.” said Dorothea Goodson, Retired MSgt.
A big part of the assistance from III Corps will come in the form of medical personnel.
Retired Seargent First Class John Valentine, who ran medical units while deployed in Afghanistan, said is crucial to missions like this.
”When you evacuate anyone from one location to another location, the biggest concern anyone should have is the health.” said John Valentine, Retired SFC.
In operations like this one, medical personnel are usually the first people evacuees see when they get off the plane.
Making them one of the most important parts of an evacuation or similar mission and III Corps is well equipped to aid in this one.
”The Doctors, the PA’s, the nurses that are going to be there, basically their job is going to be to screen all these people. Check them for disease, check them for injuries, check them for illnesses and things of that nature to make sure they are all caught before they move past that station,” said Valentine.
Veterans that served at Fort Hood say they would have proudly gone on this deployment because it's that important to them and the country.
”It’s just important that all hands be on deck and we continue to support our president and our commander in chief in the entire process,” said Goodson.
Goodson also had a message for current and former soldiers who feel their time in Afghanistan was a waste.
”We should not take on that guilt. You did your job, you did it well, and now it’s time to come home.”
For now, we know that over 1,000 soldiers from III Corps are being assigned to assist with evacuees.
Fort Hood officials say they will have more details on their mission in the coming days.
