A team of Army medical personnel based in Mobile is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, marking the next overseas deployment for the 946th Forward Surgical Team under its newly assigned commander.
Lt. Col. Peter Ray, a plastic surgeon originally from Birmingham, has taken over as commander of the 946th Forward Surgical Team, which is based out of Mobile. Within days, Ray and 14 other members of the unit are scheduled to leave for Afghanistan, where they will spend the coming months providing trauma care close to the front lines.
For Ray, who joined the military in 1995, this will be his third deployment to Afghanistan. He said the mission of a forward surgical team is narrow but critical: stabilizing the most severely wounded troops long enough for them to survive transport to a larger combat support hospital.
“The unit is a Forward Surgical Team, which is a very specific medical configuration,” Ray said. “Our primary mission is to provide life-saving control of bleeding and initial stabilization of casualties until they can be safely moved by helicopter to the next level of care, which would be the organized combat support hospital.”
Ray said the unit’s 15 deploying members have spent nearly a year training for the mission, with the Army building in short breaks so soldiers could spend the holidays with their families before shipping out.
“I think all of our soldiers were able to have Thanksgiving. They had additional training, and they were able to have Christmas and actually New Year’s,” Ray said. “That’s why they’ll be heading down there in the next 24 to 48 hours.”
Ray said this deployment will keep him and his fellow soldiers overseas anywhere from six months to a year. His previous deployment placed him near Afghanistan’s eastern border with Pakistan; this time, his unit will be stationed farther west in the country.
He acknowledged that assignments and timelines can shift once boots are on the ground, but said he is focused on the mission directly in front of him rather than trying to predict how much longer American forces will be engaged in the region.
“I think as long as we’re fighting, surgeons will have to help patch people up,” Ray said.
Before the unit departs, the community will get a chance to send them off. A deployment ceremony for the 946th Forward Surgical Team is set for Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Fort Whiting in Mobile, sponsored by VFW Post 49. Family members, fellow veterans and residents are expected to attend to honor Ray and the other soldiers as they prepare to leave home for the war zone.
Forward surgical teams like the 946th are among the smallest and most mobile medical units the Army fields, typically made up of surgeons, nurses, medics and support staff who can set up and break down a working operating room in a matter of hours. Their proximity to combat operations has been credited with saving the lives of wounded service members who might not otherwise survive the trip to a full-scale military hospital.
For Mobile, the deployment is a reminder of the sacrifices made by local citizen-soldiers who balance careers in medicine with military service. Ray’s unit is expected to remain in Afghanistan through the bulk of the coming year before returning home to Mobile.
Collegiate athletics are a major part of life in southern Alabama, where the University of South Alabama in Mobile fields the Jaguars across a range of sports. The university’s football program, which began competition in the 2000s, has become a rallying point for students, alumni, and residents and a source of regional pride.
Healthcare in the Mobile area is anchored by several hospital systems and provider networks that serve patients across southwest Alabama, the Gulf Coast, and into parts of Mississippi and Florida. Large employers in the sector include regional health systems operating hospitals, clinics, and specialty centers, alongside university-affiliated providers.
The economy of the Mobile region is diversified across shipping and logistics, aerospace and shipbuilding, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing. The Port of Mobile is one of the nation’s busiest seaports and a cornerstone of the local and state economy.
Mobile is the county seat of Mobile County in southwest Alabama and the state’s only saltwater port. Situated where the Mobile River meets Mobile Bay near the northern Gulf of Mexico, the city has long served as a commercial and cultural gateway between Alabama and the wider Gulf Coast. Founded in 1702 as Fort Louis de la Louisiane and ruled in turn by France, Britain, and Spain before joining the United States in 1813, Mobile carries a layered heritage distinct from the rest of the state.
Local government in the Mobile area operates through a combination of mayor-council or commission structures at the municipal level and a county commission in Mobile County, with elected officials handling budgets, public safety, infrastructure, and zoning. Baldwin County has its own commission and a collection of incorporated municipalities.
The natural environment is central to life on the Gulf Coast, where barrier islands, bays, rivers, and wetlands support fisheries, recreation, and storm protection. Coastal Alabama faces challenges common to low-lying regions, including hurricane exposure, erosion, and the management of fragile ecosystems.
The history of South Alabama is shaped by its position at the crossroads of cultures and waters. Indigenous peoples, including the Muscogee (Creek) and Choctaw, lived in the region for centuries before European colonization by French, British, and Spanish powers.
Education in South Alabama spans public school systems in Mobile and Baldwin counties, a network of private and parochial schools, and institutions of higher learning including the University of South Alabama, Spring Hill College, and community colleges. Public-school governance rests with locally elected boards.
Local journalism serves as the connective tissue of communities like those across South Alabama, informing residents about government, schools, public safety, and the events that shape daily life. Outlets covering Mobile and Baldwin County help hold institutions accountable and give voice to neighborhood concerns larger media may overlook.
Local law enforcement across South Alabama is carried out by municipal police departments, county sheriff’s offices, and state agencies that together cover a mix of urban, suburban, and rural territory. City departments handle policing within municipal limits, while sheriff’s offices provide courthouse security, jail operations, and patrol in unincorporated areas.
Charitable and nonprofit organizations form a vital safety net across South Alabama, addressing needs from hunger and homelessness to disaster relief and holiday assistance. Groups such as The Salvation Army operate local corps that provide shelter, food, and seasonal programs funded largely by community donations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice, tasked with protecting the country against terrorist threats, foreign intelligence operations, cyber attacks, and major criminal activity. Established in 1908, the bureau operates a network of field offices across the country, each responsible for federal law-enforcement matters within its region.
Probate courts in Alabama handle matters distinct from the trial courts that hear criminal and civil cases, including wills, estates, guardianships, and involuntary commitments for mental-health treatment. In Mobile County the probate judge is an elected official with broad administrative and judicial duties.
Behavioral-health care on the Gulf Coast is provided by a mix of community mental-health organizations, hospital systems, and private practitioners. Community centers play an especially important role in serving patients who might otherwise lack access to care, often coordinating with courts, jails, and social services.
Mobile lays claim to a long tradition of outdoor festivals and public celebration, most famously its Carnival or Mardi Gras season, which predates the better-known celebrations of New Orleans. Throughout the year the region hosts music festivals, food and arts events, and waterfront gatherings that draw visitors from across the Gulf Coast.
Baldwin County sits directly east of Mobile County across Mobile Bay and is the largest county in Alabama by land area. It encompasses the Eastern Shore communities of Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, and Foley and stretches south to the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach along the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico borders Alabama’s southern edge and defines much of the state’s coastal identity. Alabama’s Gulf coastline, centered on Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach, supports a tourism industry built around beaches, charter fishing, and marine recreation, while offshore waters host shipping lanes and energy interests.
Alabama is a state in the southeastern United States bordered by Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi. Often called the Heart of Dixie, it spans Appalachian foothills in the north and flat coastal plains in the south. Its largest cities include Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, and Mobile.
Mobile Bay is a shallow estuary in southern Alabama where freshwater from the Mobile, Tensaw, and other rivers mixes with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. It is among the largest estuarine systems in the United States and supports commercial and recreational fishing, shipping through the Port of Mobile, and wetlands that buffer the coastline from storms.
Beyond the campus, youth, high-school, and recreational leagues across Mobile and Baldwin counties sustain a deep local sports culture, and tailgating and game-day traditions reflect the social fabric of the community. Coverage of local teams regularly intersects with broader themes of economic impact, community engagement, and the role of athletics in mid-sized Southern cities.