‘Service before self’: Virginia Beach-based National Guard battalion deploys to Poland, ally of Ukraine
VIRGINIA BEACH — “We love you!” loved ones shouted Sunday morning as they watched about 70 Virginia National Guard soldiers load onto buses.
“I love you!” a soldier shouted back before climbing aboard.
The 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion left for Fort Cavazos, Texas, where soldiers will undergo mobilization training for about a month before they head to Poland as part of a scheduled rotation of units. Leaders said the battalion won’t return for a year.
The soldiers’ families and friends, as well as dozens of lawmakers, traveled from all over the state to gather at Birdneck Elementary School to see them off.
“Are you ready for duty?” Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears shouted at the unit.
“Hooah!” the soldiers bellowed.
Earle-Sears served as a guest speaker during the departure ceremony inside the school’s cafeteria.
“Your country is sending you from her shores on a mission,” Earle-Sears said. “Represent us well.”
As a combat sustainment support battalion, the unit acts as a multifunctional logistics headquarters that provides maintenance support and distributes food, fuel and ammunition. It will be responsible for supporting roughly 600 soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade.
“As sustainers, our most important function is to ensure that we are providing the right stuff at the right time to the right place and to the right people,” Lt. Col. Carlos Maldonado, commander of the battalion, said during an October news conference.
This is only the fourth time the battalion has been mobilized since forming in 2009. Previously, the unit has supported troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
The unit was notified of the deployment last fall after getting notice to prepare in 2022. Alfred Puryear, spokesperson for the Virginia National Guard, said the mobilization is not a direct response to current world events.
Poland borders Ukraine, which has been engaged in an ongoing conflict with Russia for a decade. The conflict escalated on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Attempts for peace between the two, including one as recently as last week, have been unsuccessful, the Associated Press reported.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest allies since the invasion. Warsaw has provided weapons and humanitarian aid and opened its borders to Ukrainian refugees, the AP reported last week.
While in Poland, the 529th battalion will also participate in multinational training with NATO allies.
“This is a great formation of Americans that are dedicated not only to their craft, but more importantly to each other. I know you are sad to see us go, but I hope you’re proud of what we are about to go do,” Maldonado said during Sunday’s ceremony.
This will be the second time Sgt. Marquita Snow, 36, has deployed. An Army veteran, she went to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom for a nine-month deployment in 2013.
Snow studies information technology at Georgetown University. She is putting her graduate degree on pause while deployed. Snow will work as a mechanic while in Poland.
“But when I get back, I will be readmitted and jump right back in to getting my degree,” Snow said.
While leaving is bittersweet, Snow said she is excited for those deploying for the first time to experience active duty.
“They are going to get to immerse themselves for an extended period of time in a different place, connect with people on a community level, which is exactly what we want to do as National Guardsmen,” Snow said.
Sgt. Connor Hamilton is among those deploying for the first time. He has served the Virginia National Guard full-time as a legal specialist. A Williamsburg resident, he will leave behind wife Margo and two young daughters.
“It’s definitely hard leaving family for the time that we have to be away,” Connor said as 1-year-old Trinity clung to his neck. “But it’s one of those things where when you sign up, it’s kind of inevitable. I am eager to move forward with the mission.”
As the clock struck 10:30 a.m., the soldiers were given a warning — just 15 more minutes for final hugs and kisses before heading to the bus.
The soldiers said their goodbyes as loved ones wrapped them in hugs. Several groups gathered in circles to pray over those departing. Loved ones became overwhelmed with emotion, many breaking into sobs.
Almost all the soldiers were loaded onto the buses when Margo Hamilton, cradling 3-month-old Olivia, hustled across the parking lot. Connor Hamilton climbed off the bus and gave her and little Oliva a last hug and kiss before waving a final goodbye.
Margo is bracing for the next 12 months. It will be a year of birthdays, holidays and milestones with their little ones that her husband will only see through videos and pictures. But while he has his mission in Poland, she has her mission at home.
“Trinity starts ballet soon,” she said. “I am focused on the kids and supporting him and making sure he has all of the things that he needs mentally and emotionally to be a good soldier.”
The family plans to talk as often as possible and will exchange care packages to stay connected. The moments missed over the next year, the Hamiltons said, will be made up in the future.
“Our family puts service before self,” Margo said. “The world is having a hard time right now and we thank God for the opportunity to support the world in this way.”
Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
