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    38th receives joyous welcome-home after Iraq deployment

    38th Receives Joyous Welcome-home After Iraq Deployment

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Les Newport | Lt. Col. Brian Hine of the Indiana National Guard's 38th Division Support Command...... read more read more

    KOKOMO, IN, UNITED STATES

    08.02.2007

    Courtesy Story

    Camp Atterbury Indiana

    By Staff Sgt. Patrick Cloward
    Indiana National Guard Public Affairs

    KOKOMO, Ind. -- In the dark of early morning, members of the Headquarters, Headquarters Company 38th Division Support Command, Kokomo, Ind., returned from a 15-month deployment, 12 of which were in Baghdad, Iraq.

    "Everyone is excited," said 1st Sergeant Mark Michael of Pittsboro, Ind. "Everybody is glad to be home."

    Unit members of the 38th who served as garrison command for the Victory Base Complex around Baghdad International Airport greeted cheering crowds with tears and smiles at the Division armory in Indianapolis.

    "I hope the transition will be smooth; it has been in the past," said Darwin Harting Sr., father of Maj. Darwin Harting, who deployed with his wife, Master Sgt. Rebecca Harting.

    Such an enthusiastic reception was worthy of the work members of the 38th achieved during the year they spent overseeing the Victory Base complex, composed of five separate camps responsible for housing the troop surge authorized by President George Bush in 2006.

    "For a few, it was their first deployment," Michael said. "For others it was their second or third, so they knew more of what to expect. Within a few months, we nearly doubled the size of the Victory Base complex."

    Troop numbers went from 30,000 to 55,000 people included in support and combat.

    "One hundred and thirty people ran a small city," said 1st Lt. Brandon Holloway of Fishers, Ind., and Camp Victory Department of Public Works Officer. "We oversaw the logistics and played a major role in supporting the troop surge, building life support areas."

    Camp Victory alone finished three Logistics Support Areas that could house and support around 300 troops, starting two more before the 38th left for home.

    "Finding right skill sets for different jobs was a challenge initially," Michael said. "Being in the Guard, we were able to use our civilian experience aside from our MOS (military occupational specialty) training to help the mission come to pass. That's the advantage of the Guard. It helped tremendously."

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.02.2007
    Date Posted: 08.02.2007 06:58
    Story ID: 11592
    Location: KOKOMO, IN, US

    Web Views: 157
    Downloads: 134

    PUBLIC DOMAIN