APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Fox Valley Army reserve unit is being deployed overseas.
On Saturday, those troops gathered with family and friends in Appleton for a deployment ceremony.
“It’s going to be a good experience for me to actually lead my troops and do our jobs overseas,” said Brett Peters, platoon leader.
Peters enlisted in 2015 and has been an officer since 2019. He’s just one of the more than 100 troops with the 395th Ordnance Company being sent to the Middle East.
The soldiers will head overseas to do real-world ordnance oversight and support for service members in the Middle East. That means their mission is to manage ammunition.
“Whether it’s taking in or issuing out to other units,” said Peters.
For Peters, this is his first deployment. But he’s not the only one.
“I’m actually very excited, this is my first deployment,” said Sarah Johnson. “I have a lot of experience in the 89 Bravo expertise, so I just want to share that with my troops.”
Johnson is what’s called an 89 Bravo.
It means she’s an ammunition specialist, and is responsible for not only handling ammo, but explosives too.
While Johnson has been in the Army for 22 years… like Peters, this is her first deployment.
It’s also the first time both soldiers had to have this conversation with their families.
“They were kind of shocked at first,” said Peters. “They knew when I enlisted in the Army at some point the Army is going to call for their needs and I would have to go.”
“They’re probably a little scared, I have two younger daughters at home,” said Johnson.
And the conversation will likely continue for the next weeks to months, when the soldiers deploy.
Before heading overseas, the troops will first head to Texas to train for a couple of months, before being deployed for approximately a year.
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