thedrifter
10-17-08, 04:06 AM
The wait is finally over
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Marines from 1/9 back home after tour in Iraq
October 17, 2008 - 1:01AM
JENNIFER HLAD
Mandi Hamilton didn't tell her three children the exact day daddy was coming home until Thursday morning.
"You just never know. We've been doing this for 10 years. You expect the worst," Hamilton said, minutes after an announcement that her husband's return had, in fact, been delayed a few hours. "I don't want anybody to be too disappointed."
But any lingering disappointment faded once the buses arrived. Capt. Jonathan Hamilton was one of about 400 Marines from 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment who returned home Thursday. The unit of roughly 900 Marines and sailors served seven months in Ramadi, Iraq, providing security and stability operations for Regimental Combat Team 1.
The deployment was the first for Lance Cpl. William Sanner, who returned last week and spent Thursday serving up snow cones to waiting children.
"It was hot (in Iraq)," he said. "I stopped looking at (the thermometer) after it got to 146."
Sanner's job was generally going out on convoys for re-supply missions, he said.
"I love doing it," he said. "I didn't care how many times I went out, as long as I was taking care of them."
The unit worked in an area about the size of Rhode Island, with a population of about 500,000 people, said Lt. Col. Brett Bourne, commanding officer of 1/9. The mission was one of security and reconstruction, he said.
The city of Ramadi saw $20 million worth of reconstruction under 1/9's watch, including schools, roads and Bourne's favorite project, a soccer stadium.
The stadium had been destroyed during the fighting, and after it was rebuilt, the Marines helped host a soccer tournament there.
"It was the largest gathering of civilians in Ramadi since the war began," Bourne said.
The Marines played the winning team, and though the Iraqi team scored two goals in the first minute and a half, "everybody won," he said.
Before the deployment, the Marines worked with local government officials and utilities to learn more about what they would be doing and get in the right mindset, Bourne said.
Lance Cpl. Dugan Julian said the deployment, his first, was a unique opportunity.
"It's not the whole combat situation that we thought it would be ... that we thought about when we enlisted," he said. "It's a different mission, a transition mission."
But Julian said he enjoyed being able to see the turnaround.
"You see people going to the theater and the building next to it still has 50-cal rounds in it," he said. "They are trying to get back to normalcy, after so much has happened to them."
Hamilton said the families were able to stay well informed during the deployment, which helped keep their minds at ease.
"The more we know, the safer we feel," she said. "It was a long seven months, but we're glad it's over now."
Cecile Ocana said she thought the deployment was not as difficult for her, since she is a Marine and has deployed before. But she was curious to see how her daughter - who was only 1 month old when the unit left - would respond to seeing her father.
Bourne said he was really looking forward to seeing his own children, who were in school Thursday morning.
"I see my kids in two hours, I'm so excited," he said, pausing as he looked at the other families waiting for their loved ones. "I'm so proud of these guys."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.
Ellie
Comments | Recommend
Marines from 1/9 back home after tour in Iraq
October 17, 2008 - 1:01AM
JENNIFER HLAD
Mandi Hamilton didn't tell her three children the exact day daddy was coming home until Thursday morning.
"You just never know. We've been doing this for 10 years. You expect the worst," Hamilton said, minutes after an announcement that her husband's return had, in fact, been delayed a few hours. "I don't want anybody to be too disappointed."
But any lingering disappointment faded once the buses arrived. Capt. Jonathan Hamilton was one of about 400 Marines from 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment who returned home Thursday. The unit of roughly 900 Marines and sailors served seven months in Ramadi, Iraq, providing security and stability operations for Regimental Combat Team 1.
The deployment was the first for Lance Cpl. William Sanner, who returned last week and spent Thursday serving up snow cones to waiting children.
"It was hot (in Iraq)," he said. "I stopped looking at (the thermometer) after it got to 146."
Sanner's job was generally going out on convoys for re-supply missions, he said.
"I love doing it," he said. "I didn't care how many times I went out, as long as I was taking care of them."
The unit worked in an area about the size of Rhode Island, with a population of about 500,000 people, said Lt. Col. Brett Bourne, commanding officer of 1/9. The mission was one of security and reconstruction, he said.
The city of Ramadi saw $20 million worth of reconstruction under 1/9's watch, including schools, roads and Bourne's favorite project, a soccer stadium.
The stadium had been destroyed during the fighting, and after it was rebuilt, the Marines helped host a soccer tournament there.
"It was the largest gathering of civilians in Ramadi since the war began," Bourne said.
The Marines played the winning team, and though the Iraqi team scored two goals in the first minute and a half, "everybody won," he said.
Before the deployment, the Marines worked with local government officials and utilities to learn more about what they would be doing and get in the right mindset, Bourne said.
Lance Cpl. Dugan Julian said the deployment, his first, was a unique opportunity.
"It's not the whole combat situation that we thought it would be ... that we thought about when we enlisted," he said. "It's a different mission, a transition mission."
But Julian said he enjoyed being able to see the turnaround.
"You see people going to the theater and the building next to it still has 50-cal rounds in it," he said. "They are trying to get back to normalcy, after so much has happened to them."
Hamilton said the families were able to stay well informed during the deployment, which helped keep their minds at ease.
"The more we know, the safer we feel," she said. "It was a long seven months, but we're glad it's over now."
Cecile Ocana said she thought the deployment was not as difficult for her, since she is a Marine and has deployed before. But she was curious to see how her daughter - who was only 1 month old when the unit left - would respond to seeing her father.
Bourne said he was really looking forward to seeing his own children, who were in school Thursday morning.
"I see my kids in two hours, I'm so excited," he said, pausing as he looked at the other families waiting for their loved ones. "I'm so proud of these guys."
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.
Ellie