thedrifter
08-28-06, 06:58 AM
Aug. 28, 2006, 12:32AM
POSSIBLE REDEPLOYMENT
Mother of 3 reservists remains in state of alert
When Iraq calls home
By ROBERT CROWE
Houston Chronicle
Linda Price wasn't entirely caught off guard when news broke that the Marine Corps would begin ordering thousands of its reserve soldiers back to active duty.
As the mother of three sons in the reserves, Price said she knew the possibility existed.
"I understand it, but when you start to get something back to normal, it's shocking," said Price, whose sons have all fought in the Middle East. "I've only begun to relax in the last six months."
Her twin Marine sons, Matt and Toby Winn, 24, survived their first and only Iraq tour, which included eight months in Ramadi in 2004 during some of the war's bloodiest moments. The twins are serving the typical Marine enlistment of four years on active duty and four years of "individual ready reserve." Their active duty time ended in June 2005.
Their older brother, Jayson, 27, also survived a single tour in Iraq in 2003 in the Army. He is also on reserve duty and subject to be recalled to active duty.
Although the young men have not been called back to service, they are preparing themselves for the possibility of being redeployed.
Marine officials said Tuesday that reservists would be called up involuntarily because they could not find enough volunteers within the emergency reserve pool to fill jobs in combat zones. The Marines will draw from a pool of 59,000 members of the reserve. The Army, the Associated Press reported, also has issued orders recalling about 10,000 soldiers. But it is expected that many from this pool will be granted exemptions. The Corps exempted Marines in the first and last year of their four-year reserve obligations.
Jayson Winn has been off active duty for about three years, while the twins have been inactive for 13 months. The Winn twins just started the second year of their reserve status, Price said.
The men grew up in Centerville, a town about halfway between Houston and Dallas off Interstate 45. They were stationed at Camp Pendleton and served in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. In Iraq, Matt served in Fox Company and Toby served in Echo Company.
The young men have moved forward with their lives.
Toby Winn is married and living in California. Jayson Winn is in college in Dallas.
Matt Winn, who recently returned to Texas after living in California, said he's prepared for whatever happens.
"If I get re-activated, I will do it with pleasure," said Matt Winn, who hopes to begin studying criminal justice. "I knew what I was getting into."
The call-ups will begin in several months, summoning as many as 2,500 reservists at a time to serve for a year or more.
According to published reports, more military personnel from Camp Pendleton have been killed than any other military base.
The Winn twins' unit sustained 31 deaths "and too many injuries to remember" during their eight months in Ramadi, Price said. She keeps in touch with other mothers through a network of Marine Moms.
"I don't know if things can ever be quite normal after kids are deployed, but this heightens things," Price said.
Some of the mothers in the group have seen their sons deployed to combat zones three or four times. Others have had to bury their sons.
Although Price said she understands why her sons may have to be redeployed, it's a hard reality to accept.
"There are so many of these guys who have done three or more tours, and they intended to stay for life in the Marine Corps, but now they feel they've done their part, and they're getting out," she said. "I think that's why we have a shortage (of volunteers), but it doesn't help me as a mom."
robert.crowe@chron.com
Ellie
POSSIBLE REDEPLOYMENT
Mother of 3 reservists remains in state of alert
When Iraq calls home
By ROBERT CROWE
Houston Chronicle
Linda Price wasn't entirely caught off guard when news broke that the Marine Corps would begin ordering thousands of its reserve soldiers back to active duty.
As the mother of three sons in the reserves, Price said she knew the possibility existed.
"I understand it, but when you start to get something back to normal, it's shocking," said Price, whose sons have all fought in the Middle East. "I've only begun to relax in the last six months."
Her twin Marine sons, Matt and Toby Winn, 24, survived their first and only Iraq tour, which included eight months in Ramadi in 2004 during some of the war's bloodiest moments. The twins are serving the typical Marine enlistment of four years on active duty and four years of "individual ready reserve." Their active duty time ended in June 2005.
Their older brother, Jayson, 27, also survived a single tour in Iraq in 2003 in the Army. He is also on reserve duty and subject to be recalled to active duty.
Although the young men have not been called back to service, they are preparing themselves for the possibility of being redeployed.
Marine officials said Tuesday that reservists would be called up involuntarily because they could not find enough volunteers within the emergency reserve pool to fill jobs in combat zones. The Marines will draw from a pool of 59,000 members of the reserve. The Army, the Associated Press reported, also has issued orders recalling about 10,000 soldiers. But it is expected that many from this pool will be granted exemptions. The Corps exempted Marines in the first and last year of their four-year reserve obligations.
Jayson Winn has been off active duty for about three years, while the twins have been inactive for 13 months. The Winn twins just started the second year of their reserve status, Price said.
The men grew up in Centerville, a town about halfway between Houston and Dallas off Interstate 45. They were stationed at Camp Pendleton and served in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. In Iraq, Matt served in Fox Company and Toby served in Echo Company.
The young men have moved forward with their lives.
Toby Winn is married and living in California. Jayson Winn is in college in Dallas.
Matt Winn, who recently returned to Texas after living in California, said he's prepared for whatever happens.
"If I get re-activated, I will do it with pleasure," said Matt Winn, who hopes to begin studying criminal justice. "I knew what I was getting into."
The call-ups will begin in several months, summoning as many as 2,500 reservists at a time to serve for a year or more.
According to published reports, more military personnel from Camp Pendleton have been killed than any other military base.
The Winn twins' unit sustained 31 deaths "and too many injuries to remember" during their eight months in Ramadi, Price said. She keeps in touch with other mothers through a network of Marine Moms.
"I don't know if things can ever be quite normal after kids are deployed, but this heightens things," Price said.
Some of the mothers in the group have seen their sons deployed to combat zones three or four times. Others have had to bury their sons.
Although Price said she understands why her sons may have to be redeployed, it's a hard reality to accept.
"There are so many of these guys who have done three or more tours, and they intended to stay for life in the Marine Corps, but now they feel they've done their part, and they're getting out," she said. "I think that's why we have a shortage (of volunteers), but it doesn't help me as a mom."
robert.crowe@chron.com
Ellie