Guard unit leaves on first leg of mission to Afghanistan

April 12, 2011 at 5:58 a.m. | Updated April 12, 2011 at 5:58 a.m.

Pfc. Molly Tuley buries her head in dad Bruce Tuley's shoulder prior to boarding the bus for Fort Bliss, Texas. She is a PLS (palletized loading system) operator and will be joining the rest of the 548th Transportation Co. as they prepare for a year of duty in Afghanistan.
Pfc. Molly Tuley buries her head in dad Bruce Tuley's shoulder prior to boarding the bus for Fort Bliss, Texas. She is a PLS (palletized loading system) operator and will be joining the rest of the 548th Transportation Co. as they prepare for a year of duty in Afghanistan.

Recruited in high school after a "GI Joe stuff" weekend with the Missouri National Guard, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Seib wore a broad smile Monday as he entered the departure ceremony for the 548th Transportation Company's detachment 1.

The Centertown-based platoon will join the rest of the 170-member 548th company, based out of Trenton, at Fort Bliss, Texas, before deploying to Afghanistan.

About two-thirds of the soldiers are deploying for the first time.

"But we have a lot of good experience - Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq; we have a lot of years and a lot of deployment experience," Seib said.

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