Marines leave from Billings to serve in Iraq

By BRAD FJELDHEIM
Of The Gazette Staff

Families of the 11 Montana Marines deployed Monday morning watched from a window inside Billings Logan Airport as the United Airlines jet taxied down the runway.

Tammy Jo Coyle, mother of 27-year-old Lance Cpl. Eldon Sindelar, got a phone call from a good friend.

"We're up here looking out the window, waiting for them to take the plane away," she said.


Sindelar was working as a contractor for a family company when he asked to be deployed with his fellow Marine reservists of Company B 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, and he is excited to go.

"I want to know what it's like and how things are run," Sindelar said.

The Marines are headed for Camp Lejeune, N.C., and will have short layovers in Denver and Charlotte, N.C., said 1st Sgt. George Rabidou. The Marines will train at Camp Lejeune until they head for Iraq between July 9 and July 13, Rabidou said.

"This is as real as it gets," said Maj. Kevin Hutchison, who is in charge of active-duty personnel for Company B.

Marines shared tears and smiles during their final embraces with family members, but said they are ready to jump into training and the war.

"I'm ready to go," said Pfc. Sean Gummer, 19. "With all the hype of saying we're going to go, I just want to get over there and get going."

Some of the Marines were excited, some were scared, but most were both.

"There is going to be a gamut of emotions for the next couple months," said Rabidou, who returned from Iraq in December.

It is equally hard on the family, and Coyle said she is depending on the strong support from her family and the Marine Corps.

"I'm looking forward to having the Marine family we have here while they're over there," she said.


Ellie