Home at Last

FORT IRWIN - Allie Morgan missed her dad's funny jokes. Mateo Llamas missed playing basketball with his dad. Ken Durga missed having a son to yell at around the house. And Ruth Cox hopes her husband will not miss the grass yard that died.

On Wednesday night, 147 soldiers with the 2nd Heavy Equipment Transportation returned from 15 months shuttling equipment into and around Iraq to a gym full of husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, moms, dads and children who all missed their soldiers.

"I'm anxious," said Alexandra Adkins as she waited for her husband. "It's like the sign said, ‘It's about damn time.' "

More signs lined Fort Irwin Road, welcoming the soldiers home as they traveled through the desert to Fort Irwin. Once on post, well-wishers lined Fifth Street to cheer on the busses as they passed. Inside Ingall's Recreation Center, the soldiers stood in formation in front of bleachers full of screaming family members and loved ones. When the company was released, the two sides clashed on the gym floor exchanging hugs, kisses and a few tears.

"The last month was the hardest," Cox said before her husband, Staff Sgt. Shannon Cox arrived home. "Even after the second or third deployment, it doesn't get any easier."

During the deployment, many of the soldiers were able to stay in contact with their families, a welcome change said spouses who had weathered previous deployments. Kellie Perreira was able to see her husband, Sgt. David Perreira, a few times on a Web cam. Jennifer Littleton, whose husband, Sgt. 1st Class William Littleton, has been deployed to Iraq four times, said she was able to talk to him on the phone, and it made the separation a little easier. Adkins said she called her husband, Sgt. Christapher Adkins, right before their child was born. Christapher was heading out on a mission when Alexandra was going into labor.

"And that same day, he re-enlisted. So it's kind of special," Alexandra said.

The soldiers left for Iraq in May 2007. Stationed in Kuwait, the company of more than 150 men and women helped incoming and outgoing brigades move tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and the new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles in and around Iraq, said 1st Sgt. Michael Robledo. The company traveled 2.8 million miles on 206 missions and became highly thought of by other soldiers in Iraq.

"They didn't want us to leave," Robledo said. "We were the go-to guys."

At the beginning of their deployment, Robledo said the company suffered frequent improvised explosive device attacks along their routes. Operating with only one gun truck unit, the company had to rely on the route clearance and surveillance from other units before taking to the treacherous roads leading to cities such as Mosul. IED attacks slowed during the deployment, and only one soldier received a purple heart for injuries, Robledo said. The soldier was driving the lead vehicle in a convoy when an IED exploded, sending shrapnel into the soldier's armpit.

One soldier, Sgt. Guadalupe Cervantes Ramirez, 26, died in an auto collision outside the company's base in Kuwait in April. He was the company's only death and one the group took hard, Robledo said. Ramirez was well-liked, Robledo said, and a positive influence to the entire company.

During the deployment, Ramirez received an Army commendation medal with valor for saving the lives of fellow soldiers. While in a convoy, Ramirez became slightly injured and still went to the rear of the convoy to help rescue soldiers.

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