Soldiers from the 31st Combat Support Hospital and their families gathered on post Wednesday for a ceremony before deploying to Southwest Asia.

The casing of the colors is a traditional United States Army ceremony; it was conducted prior to the unit’s deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Nearly 400 soldiers will deploy to Southwest Asia from Biggs Army Airfield starting in the early morning hours, Thursday, March 15.

The unit was previously in the theater of operations from January 2004 to January 2005 in both Baghdad and Balad, Iraq.

The unit is a model military combat support hospital renowned for its modern innovations, the highest quality medical care and the most caring and proficient of clinical providers.