Photo By Sgt. Zach Zuber | Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry...... read more read more
Subscribe
DIYALA, Iraq – "My wife had twins before we got here," said Cpl. Christopher Walters, a vehicle commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. His only familiarity with his new little ones has been through webcam. "It's exciting for me to start getting ready to go home to see them grow up."
Since the middle of March, Cpl. Walters and the rest of HHC, 2/3 Inf., have been preparing for the closure of Forward Operating Base Normandy. Mission focus is paramount, but the Soldiers are realizing that in just a short while they will return to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. To accomplish this task, they have scaled back daily missions and focused more on administrative requirements.
Their mission here in Iraq has been to train and cooperate with local forces to ensure they have the tactical skills necessary to confidently secure their communities. As these Soldiers prepare to rejoin their own cities and towns, the Iraqi security forces are doing the same. Watching ISF take the lead role has shown the Highlanders the effect they have had in the community.
"The [Iraqi] security forces have been doing great work without us," said Capt. Ryan Bell, commander of HHC 2/3 Inf. "They have kept us up to date on everything going on, including arrests and actions taken by the security council to improve the community."
The Iraqi security forces have increased security patrols throughout the community, and seen a rise in the number of arrests, said Bell. The Highlanders can focus on those facts to measure the success of their diligent work.
"The Soldiers are excited to see that the area is doing well without them," said Bell. "If it wasn't, that would mean we had missed the mark somewhere."
Despite reducing combat operations the Highlanders have kept very busy. Their new focus is to pack all the tools they used to create their success. They are conducting a detailed inventory that involves finding and recording everything registered to them, down to the beds they sleep on. Some people may expect an infantry unit to have little more than guns to count, but the list is staggering.
"First we inventory all the real property... almost $30 million worth of equipment which we will hand over to the Iraqis," said Bell. "Then every company in the battalion is doing a 100 percent inventory of all organizational property and theater provided equipment, which for HHC is about $115 million worth of equipment."
The inventory process has required hard work and long hours from the Highlanders. They have implemented guard shifts overnight to secure items waiting to be counted, packed and shipped home.
"We are trying to get ahead of the game before we start the process of leaving," said Walters. "The whole process of itemizing everything and packing it well, will speed up our time through customs and get us home quicker."
As they work on final preparations Soldiers anticipate their return to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., but Bell's focus is on ensuring everyone gets home safely.
"Our focus has been on helping the Iraqis capture and prevent terrorists," said Bell. "Now I'm looking forward to setting the stage and getting our people focused on the next mission which is to get redeployed safely with all our people, weapons and equipment."
The Highlanders have worked hard to make their mission a success. Soldiers and their families have grown during the deployment, and one young father is looking forward to watching his two young children grow right before his eyes.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2010 11:50 |
| Story ID: | 48669 |
| Location: | DIYALA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 899 |
| Downloads: | 870 |
This work, Taking the final steps toward home, by SGT Zach Zuber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
