thedrifter
03-25-09, 06:40 AM
26th MEU returns
Comments 1 | Recommend 2
March 24, 2009 - 5:55 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
The Marines and sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are back home on land after a seven-month deployment aboard ships.
Lance Cpl. David Greathouse, a Marine with Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, met his 5-month-old daughter, Harper, when he arrived back at Camp Lejeune on Tuesday morning.
"It feels great, like a weight lifted off my shoulders," he said, holding his baby.
Greathouse's wife, Jessica, said it was difficult having him away for so long.
"He missed out on so much. He didn't get to see the first time she rolled over by herself," she said. "I'm looking forward to spending time together. Hopefully he'll be here for the first time she crawls and the first time she walks."
Cpl. Manuel Barnett, also with BLT 2/6, came home to his wife, Sarah, who learned she was pregnant just a week into the deployment.
The deployment was Barnett's third. The first time, he said, he didn't have anyone waiting for him when he returned. Last time, he was dating Sarah. This was the first time he has deployed since getting married.
"It's nice to have someone to come home to," Barnett said.
BLT 2/6 was the infantry element of the 26th MEU. The MEU also includes a command element, Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264. During the deployment, a detachment of CH-53E Super Stallions supported operations in Iraq, and other Marines worked with forces in various Middle Eastern countries to build relationships and improve military efficiency.
The MEU also conducted anti-piracy operations near the coast of Somalia.
While many of the Marines wanted to be "in the fight," Col. Mark Desens said the MEU's operations helped build and strengthen relationships, also an important part of the war on terrorism.
"We're a warfighting organization, but we do a whole lot more than that," said Desens, the commanding officer of 26th MEU. "When we're not aiming a weapon, we're statesmen."
The Marines performed well in the joint operations, Desens said.
"I think we'd get high marks," Desens said. "By any measure, we were very successful in that mission."
The MEU deployed on the ships of the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, which included the USS San Antonio. The deployment was the first for the San Antonio, and while it was expected that there would be growing pains, "this one had more growing pains than it should have," Desens said, without going into detail about issues that included well-publicized delays with getting the ship mission-ready.
Still, he said, the ship has amazing capabilities and has just started to realize its potential.
"It's a tremendous ship," Desens said.
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie
Comments 1 | Recommend 2
March 24, 2009 - 5:55 PM
JENNIFER HLAD
The Marines and sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit are back home on land after a seven-month deployment aboard ships.
Lance Cpl. David Greathouse, a Marine with Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, met his 5-month-old daughter, Harper, when he arrived back at Camp Lejeune on Tuesday morning.
"It feels great, like a weight lifted off my shoulders," he said, holding his baby.
Greathouse's wife, Jessica, said it was difficult having him away for so long.
"He missed out on so much. He didn't get to see the first time she rolled over by herself," she said. "I'm looking forward to spending time together. Hopefully he'll be here for the first time she crawls and the first time she walks."
Cpl. Manuel Barnett, also with BLT 2/6, came home to his wife, Sarah, who learned she was pregnant just a week into the deployment.
The deployment was Barnett's third. The first time, he said, he didn't have anyone waiting for him when he returned. Last time, he was dating Sarah. This was the first time he has deployed since getting married.
"It's nice to have someone to come home to," Barnett said.
BLT 2/6 was the infantry element of the 26th MEU. The MEU also includes a command element, Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 264. During the deployment, a detachment of CH-53E Super Stallions supported operations in Iraq, and other Marines worked with forces in various Middle Eastern countries to build relationships and improve military efficiency.
The MEU also conducted anti-piracy operations near the coast of Somalia.
While many of the Marines wanted to be "in the fight," Col. Mark Desens said the MEU's operations helped build and strengthen relationships, also an important part of the war on terrorism.
"We're a warfighting organization, but we do a whole lot more than that," said Desens, the commanding officer of 26th MEU. "When we're not aiming a weapon, we're statesmen."
The Marines performed well in the joint operations, Desens said.
"I think we'd get high marks," Desens said. "By any measure, we were very successful in that mission."
The MEU deployed on the ships of the USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, which included the USS San Antonio. The deployment was the first for the San Antonio, and while it was expected that there would be growing pains, "this one had more growing pains than it should have," Desens said, without going into detail about issues that included well-publicized delays with getting the ship mission-ready.
Still, he said, the ship has amazing capabilities and has just started to realize its potential.
"It's a tremendous ship," Desens said.
Contact interactive content editor and military reporter Jennifer Hlad at jhlad@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8467.
Ellie