CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Newborn babies, wives, husbands, families, and a few dogs eagerly stood by welcome home signs and American flags, waiting for their loved ones to arrive aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., May 13, 2013.
The Marines and sailors of Combat Logistics Battalion 15 were returning from their eight-month deployment with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Slowly, the service members trickled in a few at a time.
“I’m super excited,” said Corinna Guill, wife of Petty Officer 3rd Class Samuel Guill, a corpsman with CLB-15. “I just can’t believe he is finally home.”
Several had new additions to the family they had not yet met.
“He came back for four days when Trenton was born, but then had to leave,” said Kailey Sauter, girlfriend of Cpl. Dylan Rupe, a motor transportation specialist with CLB-15. “I’m super excited for him to meet his son and to actually get to know his personality.”
The Marines and sailors deployed to approximately ten different countries providing combat service support to the battalion landing team and air combat element for the 15th MEU.
“The biggest thing we achieved while out there was training with foreign military and getting to see how they operate,” said 1st Lt. Jeffery Pioszak, Transportation Support Battalion Officer-In-Charge, CLB-15, 1st MLG, and a native of Mason, Mich. “We got to share learning points and built some level of coordination between the militaries and, at the same time, built good will.”
CLB-15 supplied the infantry battalion’s needs by providing maintenance capabilities for all equipment on the MEU and by transporting gear, ammunition, food, water, fuel and personnel throughout the deployment.
“Having us out there is just so important because it makes people comfortable to know that we have the Marine Corps on call and available to provide support for any contingency,” added Pioszak.