thedrifter
09-17-07, 08:03 AM
Mix of veterans and new faces lead 1/8 to Iraq
BY LINDELL KAY
September 17, 2007 - 12:31AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
About 300 Marines and sailors with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment said goodbye to their families, were issued their rifles, loaded up their gear, and left for a seven-month deployment in Iraq on Sunday morning.
Maj. Mike Starling, commanding officer for the 1/8, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, looked out his office window at the Marines saying goodbye to their families and friends.
"These Marines are ready and anxious for their mission," he said. "They have had a very rigorous and comprehensive training program."
Starling said the 300 Marines made up his lead element. Their mission will be to relieve the 2/5 and continue the transition of turning security over to the Iraqi police and military in the Anbar province.
In the parking lot where the Marines waited for eight buses that would carry them to the airstrip, Lance Cpl. Brent Daneker held his 3-week-old daughter, not wanting to let her go.
His wife, Nikki Daneker, said she was going home with their newborn to Georgia until the deployment is over.
Daneker said he was happy he got to see is daughter born and spend time with his wife before he had to go. This will be his first deployment.
Young Marines, 18 and 19 years old, stood around or sat on sea bags smoking cigarettes.
Jimi Hendrix's "Watchtower" was playing from a laptop balanced carefully on a sea bag. They laughed and joked about their last big night on the town. One of them slept soundly on his sea bag.
Lance Cpl. David Weikle, making his first deployment, said he had a small Bible in his pocket that a family friend gave to him.
"He carried this Bible for two tours in Vietnam, and he said he wants it back when I return," Weikle said.
Cpl. Jerry Bell spoke quietly with his wife, Jenna Bell, a student at Coastal Carolina Community College studying nursing. He said he will only get to talk with her once a month once he is in Iraq.
Bell said he would probably stay in for one more enlistment. This is his second deployment.
The USO was there with water and coffee and snacks, just as they always are.
"We come out to every deployment we are made aware of," said Judy Robinson, assistant director for the USO in Jacksonville.
She said her volunteers gave up sleeping in or church to be there for the departing troops.
"It's the least we can do," she said. "We are here to say thank you."
A large moving van pulled up to the back of the barracks where the 1/8 waited.
Sgt. Ryan Etiler, leaving for his third deployment, chased his four children around the piled of sea bags and backpacks. When his first sergeant called for the Marines to gather around, Etiler grabbed one of his daughters and held her as tight as he could.
Standing off to the side, in identical uniforms distinguished only by the collar rank of HM3, two Navy corpsmen said goodbye to their families.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Maston gave his wife, Vanessa Maston, one final hug. Just married in May, she said she is proud of her husband, but she did not want to see him go.
"He is a good son-in-law," said Glenda Barton. "Joseph is a good soul."
He held a Subway sandwich "for the road" in his hands.
"Won't be seeing a lot of Subways in Ramadi," Maston said.
When asked how he thinks it will be in Ramadi, Maston smiled and said, "On my first trip I was right in the middle of the Battle of Fallujah. This won't be a problem."
This will be his third deployment.
"I know you got family here and all," 1st Sgt. Christopher House shouted at his Marines. "But when we start to load up, we switch to my time! Privates with no families here, do the right thing and load this truck up so the rest of us can say goodbye."
Young servicemen with high and tight haircuts began to move sea bags to the truck. They were a little more somber than they were before.
House turned to his 7-year-old daughter and spoke very quietly, very differently to her than he had his Marines.
"We leave here for Maine," he said. "Then in five or six days, we will be in Ramadi."
When asked whether leaving gets easier or harder, House looked around at the young, unmarried Marines loading the truck and then he looked down at his daughter.
"It gets harder every time," he said.
This is his sixth deployment.
Ellie
BY LINDELL KAY
September 17, 2007 - 12:31AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
About 300 Marines and sailors with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment said goodbye to their families, were issued their rifles, loaded up their gear, and left for a seven-month deployment in Iraq on Sunday morning.
Maj. Mike Starling, commanding officer for the 1/8, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, looked out his office window at the Marines saying goodbye to their families and friends.
"These Marines are ready and anxious for their mission," he said. "They have had a very rigorous and comprehensive training program."
Starling said the 300 Marines made up his lead element. Their mission will be to relieve the 2/5 and continue the transition of turning security over to the Iraqi police and military in the Anbar province.
In the parking lot where the Marines waited for eight buses that would carry them to the airstrip, Lance Cpl. Brent Daneker held his 3-week-old daughter, not wanting to let her go.
His wife, Nikki Daneker, said she was going home with their newborn to Georgia until the deployment is over.
Daneker said he was happy he got to see is daughter born and spend time with his wife before he had to go. This will be his first deployment.
Young Marines, 18 and 19 years old, stood around or sat on sea bags smoking cigarettes.
Jimi Hendrix's "Watchtower" was playing from a laptop balanced carefully on a sea bag. They laughed and joked about their last big night on the town. One of them slept soundly on his sea bag.
Lance Cpl. David Weikle, making his first deployment, said he had a small Bible in his pocket that a family friend gave to him.
"He carried this Bible for two tours in Vietnam, and he said he wants it back when I return," Weikle said.
Cpl. Jerry Bell spoke quietly with his wife, Jenna Bell, a student at Coastal Carolina Community College studying nursing. He said he will only get to talk with her once a month once he is in Iraq.
Bell said he would probably stay in for one more enlistment. This is his second deployment.
The USO was there with water and coffee and snacks, just as they always are.
"We come out to every deployment we are made aware of," said Judy Robinson, assistant director for the USO in Jacksonville.
She said her volunteers gave up sleeping in or church to be there for the departing troops.
"It's the least we can do," she said. "We are here to say thank you."
A large moving van pulled up to the back of the barracks where the 1/8 waited.
Sgt. Ryan Etiler, leaving for his third deployment, chased his four children around the piled of sea bags and backpacks. When his first sergeant called for the Marines to gather around, Etiler grabbed one of his daughters and held her as tight as he could.
Standing off to the side, in identical uniforms distinguished only by the collar rank of HM3, two Navy corpsmen said goodbye to their families.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Maston gave his wife, Vanessa Maston, one final hug. Just married in May, she said she is proud of her husband, but she did not want to see him go.
"He is a good son-in-law," said Glenda Barton. "Joseph is a good soul."
He held a Subway sandwich "for the road" in his hands.
"Won't be seeing a lot of Subways in Ramadi," Maston said.
When asked how he thinks it will be in Ramadi, Maston smiled and said, "On my first trip I was right in the middle of the Battle of Fallujah. This won't be a problem."
This will be his third deployment.
"I know you got family here and all," 1st Sgt. Christopher House shouted at his Marines. "But when we start to load up, we switch to my time! Privates with no families here, do the right thing and load this truck up so the rest of us can say goodbye."
Young servicemen with high and tight haircuts began to move sea bags to the truck. They were a little more somber than they were before.
House turned to his 7-year-old daughter and spoke very quietly, very differently to her than he had his Marines.
"We leave here for Maine," he said. "Then in five or six days, we will be in Ramadi."
When asked whether leaving gets easier or harder, House looked around at the young, unmarried Marines loading the truck and then he looked down at his daughter.
"It gets harder every time," he said.
This is his sixth deployment.
Ellie