thedrifter
04-25-09, 07:17 AM
Welcome home from Iraq duty
Seven-month mission over, Albany-based Marines prepare for return to busy civilian lives
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, April 25, 2009
SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than 100 Marines just back from a successful tour of Iraq were unwinding in sunny Saratoga County on Friday as part of their reintegration into civilian life.
Appearing tan and healthy, members of the Albany-based Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, wore jeans and T-shirts as they toured the Saratoga battlefield in Stillwater, the state Military Museum in the city and ate lunch at the Parting Glass pub.
As part of their demobilization, the Marines are turning in gear, cleaning weapons, taking courses in how to access benefits like medical care and just enjoying themselves.
"It's nice to let them relax, have a nice day," Maj. Tom Armas said in the military museum as his men peeled off to inspect exhibits. "It's been a really busy year for them."
Just a few weeks ago, the Marine Reservists were stationed at Al Asad in western Iraq, where they provided security for a military base, protected convoys and conducted humanitarian assistance missions. They returned to the Capital Region without a casualty on April 10 after seven months in the theater.
The unit contained several dozen Marines from the Capital Region who said that the U.S., through cooperation with Iraqi forces, had calmed the area of western Iraq. Local Marines brought specialists from the Iraqi Army and American doctors and dentists into tribal areas to help gain the trust of locals, said Armas, of Fairfield, Conn.
While lengthy deployments, violence and the uncertainty of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has disabled hundreds of thousands of service members since 2002, the Marines interviewed Friday were upbeat and determined.
Lance Cpl. Sean Klinewood, who turned 21 in Iraq, just moved into his own apartment in Wilton, and expects to return to college soon. He saved all the money he earned serving in Iraq.
"I feel like I'm better," said Klinewood, who plans to work at his family's business, selling Persian imports in the city. "You almost step out of your life and organize it from a distance" when deployed, he said.
Ellie
Seven-month mission over, Albany-based Marines prepare for return to busy civilian lives
By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, April 25, 2009
SARATOGA SPRINGS — More than 100 Marines just back from a successful tour of Iraq were unwinding in sunny Saratoga County on Friday as part of their reintegration into civilian life.
Appearing tan and healthy, members of the Albany-based Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, wore jeans and T-shirts as they toured the Saratoga battlefield in Stillwater, the state Military Museum in the city and ate lunch at the Parting Glass pub.
As part of their demobilization, the Marines are turning in gear, cleaning weapons, taking courses in how to access benefits like medical care and just enjoying themselves.
"It's nice to let them relax, have a nice day," Maj. Tom Armas said in the military museum as his men peeled off to inspect exhibits. "It's been a really busy year for them."
Just a few weeks ago, the Marine Reservists were stationed at Al Asad in western Iraq, where they provided security for a military base, protected convoys and conducted humanitarian assistance missions. They returned to the Capital Region without a casualty on April 10 after seven months in the theater.
The unit contained several dozen Marines from the Capital Region who said that the U.S., through cooperation with Iraqi forces, had calmed the area of western Iraq. Local Marines brought specialists from the Iraqi Army and American doctors and dentists into tribal areas to help gain the trust of locals, said Armas, of Fairfield, Conn.
While lengthy deployments, violence and the uncertainty of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has disabled hundreds of thousands of service members since 2002, the Marines interviewed Friday were upbeat and determined.
Lance Cpl. Sean Klinewood, who turned 21 in Iraq, just moved into his own apartment in Wilton, and expects to return to college soon. He saved all the money he earned serving in Iraq.
"I feel like I'm better," said Klinewood, who plans to work at his family's business, selling Persian imports in the city. "You almost step out of your life and organize it from a distance" when deployed, he said.
Ellie