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thedrifter
04-20-09, 09:09 AM
April 20, 2009
3 Fort Collins friends deploying to Afghanistan together

BY JEAN SPENCER
JeanSpencer@coloradoan.com

Three longtime Fort Collins friends will deploy together to Afghanistan in the next few weeks.

Cpl. Nick Moon, 20, Cpl. Austin Lanier, 21, and Lance Cpl. Sam Comer, 19, all Rocky Mountain High School graduates and U.S. Marines, are preparing for an eight-month assignment to Afghanistan at the beginning of May.

The friends serve together with the 2nd Marine Division's Second Assault Amphibian Battalion, or SAAB, Delta Company.

Though each had an influence on the others in joining the Marines, none expected to serve in the same company, Moon said.

"It was just out of luck that we got the same company," Comer said.

SAABs are an amphibious Marine Corps unit with both water and inland objectives, Moon said.

The three Marines are stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

"These are my brothers, these are my boys," Lanier said.

"It definitely makes it a lot better to have guys from Fort Collins around," he said. "We are each other's support group. Like if Austin is really down, I can say something to pick him up. That's an advantage other people don't have."

This is the second overseas deployment for Moon and Lanier, both of whom enlisted in May 2006 before graduating from high school. The two attended boot camp together, were assigned to the same Marine company and served in Iraq from October 2007 to June 2008.

Comer, who enlisted a year later, attended boot camp solo and "just of out luck" was assigned to the same company as his two high school buddies. This will be his first overseas duty.

Lanier, Moon and Comer share an excited anticipation for their overseas deployment.

"This is what we have been training to do for the last year. It's about time," Comer said. "If I could go today I would."

"I'm pumped to go," Moon said.

Still, the three say they wouldn't be as thrilled about the deployment if it weren't for each other.

"I can't imagine it without them," Lanier said.

Ellie