Matt Roberts

A Chattanooga-based Army Reserve unit is leaving today to train for a yearlong mission in Iraq.

This will be the second Iraq war deployment for the 591st Transportation Company, which last was called to duty in 2004, according to unit commander 1st Lt. Matt Roberts.

Whereas the unit’s first mission was to run a trailer transfer point for supply lines, this time its job will involve both air and ground cargo, 1st Lt. Roberts said.

“We’ll be doing a movement control mission, which is handling the logistics for air and ground cargo,” he said. “We’ll work with units needing supplies to arrange shipments and arrange for trucking companies to take the shipments, and we’ll be a liaison with the Air Force and units needing to ship cargo or receive cargo in by air.”

A total of 23 men and women will begin their mission this morning when they depart the Army Reserve Center on Bonny Oaks Drive, according to Army Reserve spokesman Capt. Adam Jackson. They will travel to Camp Atterbury, Ind., where they will train for about a month before leaving for the Middle East, Capt. Jackson said.

Today will be their last day in Chattanooga for some time, 1st Lt. Roberts said, but unit members remain positive about the journey on which they are about to embark.

Only a handful of the 23 members to deploy on the mission were serving with the unit when it deployed in 2004, he said, so many are excited to see what it is like to serve in a war zone.

“Everybody joins knowing full well the day will come when we deploy,” he said. “We’re looking forward to getting over there, doing our job and coming home.”

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