Photos by Spc. Darrell Lavoie, Warrior Transition Brigade Walter Reed Soldiers deploying to the Middle East are honored during a ceremony Tuesday in Heaton Pavilion’s Joel Auditorium.

ìToday we know who the real heroes are ó those of you who are deploying in support of our nationís efforts in the Middle East and your families who will support and miss you each and every day,î said Col. Norvell Van Coots, commander of Walter Reed Health Care System (WRHCS).

According to Medical Center Brigade officials, the majority of Soldiers will deploy with the 10th Combat Support Hospital (CSH) out of Fort Carson, Colo. The remaining Soldiers will deploy with the 115th Combat Support Hospital (Fort Polk, La.), 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Armed Calvary Regiment (Fort Hood, Texas) and 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Fort Bragg, N.C.).

ìFor the next year, you will be providing medical care for some of the bravest troops our nation has ever produced,î Coots said. He added, ìAs commander of the Walter Reed Health Care System, I know we are sending the best we have to offer.î

Coots called the family members of the deploying Soldiers, ìunsung heroes of Americaís military,î who quietly serve their nation through their personal sacrifice of separation. Family members like 12-year-old Morgan Leake, who joined the crowd gathered in Heaton Pavilionís Joel Auditorium to honor his big sister, 1st Lt. Jennifer Leake, a WRAMC nurse headed for Camp Bucca with the 115th CSH.

Even while she was away at Radford University, Leake was never far from their Charlottesville, Va. home. After receiving her commission in April 2007, Leake came to Walter Reed, still only 2 1/2 hours away; in Iraq sheíll be more than 6,000 miles away.

ìItís going to be kinda sad when she leaves,î Morgan said. It will be the familyís first Thanksgiving dinner without Leake.

ìIím very proud of my sister,î said the Burley Middle School 7th grader.

Leake plans to communicate with Morgan and 19-year-old sister, Amanda, by email, and said sheís looking forward to advancing her career in the Army with her time in Iraq.

ìIím excited,î Leake said.

This is the third deployment for 1st Lt. Michelle Gore, a staff nurse on Ward 65. Both she and her husband were deployed to Bosnia, and Gore also served in Haiti, but this is her first time in Iraq.

Goreís daughter Kayla joined her at the send-off ceremony. The active fourth-grader is an avid softball player. Gore hopes to return stateside by July to, ìcatch some of the games on the backside.î

The audience in Joel Auditorium gave a standing ovation to Leake, Gore and the other deploying Soldiers: Lt. Col. Shelton Davis, Maj. Kelli Metzger, Maj. Scott Peterson, Capt. Phantha Boon, 1st Lt. Audrye Bucklin, 1st Lt. James McCampbell and Staff Sgt. Sara Beth Sutton.

The following Soldiers are also deploying but were not present at Tuesdayís ceremony: Col. John Atwood, Lt. Col. Jonathan Roebuck, Lt. Col. Stephen November, Lt. Col. Romney Anderson, Maj. Jimmie Tolvert, Capt. Robert Trainer, Capt. Valerie Insogna, Capt. Mercedes Erias, Capt. Ogwo Uko Ogwo, Capt. Jason Simmons, Capt. Eddie Funes, Capt. Kathleen Gerrie, 1st Lt. Megan Kensill, 1st Lt. Monica Flowers, 2nd Lt. Juan Carlos Sanchez Gil, Sgt. Christopher Shaw and Spc. Daryl Blas.

ìTo those deploying, we wonít say goodbye today, because we look forward to welcoming you back here next year,î Coots said.