Troops coming home for holiday

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.

Dana Keithley was ecstatic when she learned that her husband was on his way back to the United States from Iraq, but she was disappointed because she thought he would have to spend Thanksgiving alone on Washington's Puget Sound.

"I was happy he was coming home, but to have him in Washington basically at arm's length and not being able to see him was going to be hard on everyone," Keithley said.

"Then we learned that the state was sending a plane to bring them home for Thanksgiving, and we're just so thankful."

First Sgt. Daryl Keithley and about 90 other members of the Nevada Army National Guard's 72nd Military Police company were expected back in Las Vegas this afternoon after six months in Iraq.

Members of the 120-man unit who are Northern Nevada residents are scheduled to be flown into Carson City today, and some soldiers will stay in Fort Lewis, Wash., to begin debriefing, military officials said.

"The Fort Lewis folks didn't have to release our MPs for a short four-day pass, but we're glad they did," said Maj. Gen. Giles Vanderhoof, commander of Nevada's National Guard forces.

The 72nd's Southern Nevada soldiers were expected to arrive on a C-130 fighter plane at Nellis Air Force Base at 2 p.m. today, and were to meet family members at the Thunderbird hangar on the base. The soldiers will have to return to Fort Lewis for a week of demobilization beginning Monday.

"Knowing they're going to be home hasn't really sunk in yet," Dana Keithley said. "We're all just crying. It's really bad in Iraq, and it's just scary for the families.

"I wish all the families with loved ones in Iraq a happy Thanksgiving and pray for the safety of their family members."

Daryl Keithley, a Metro Police sergeant, was called to active duty with the rest of the 72nd in February. The company spent about three months at Fort Lewis before being sent to the region in and around Iraq in May.

The majority of the company's deployment was spent guarding Iraqi prisoners at Abu Grahib prison in northern Bahgdad.

The company has been used extensively over the past two years, also being called to active duty shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. The 72nd was deployed for a year to California to provide security at the Presidio of Monterey, the Defense Language Institute and the military community there.

The unit was deactivated in September 2002 only to be called back to active duty five months later in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Donna Ingle of Elko wants to see her grandson, Spc. Chris Parkinson, but says that reunion will have to wait a little while.

"While he was stationed in California he met a girl and they got married," Ingle said. "They have a little girl, and I think he's going to want to see them first.

"I'm tickled to death that he's going to be home."

Ingle said it's been hard worrying about her grandson over the last six months while watching news coverage of Americans continuing to be killed in Iraq.

"He would tell me on the phone that they'd been hit by mortars, and then you see the news about what is happening there and it's just devastating," Ingle said. "I'm just so relieved that he's going to be home safe."

Dana Keithley said that her 16-year-old son has missed spending time with his father.

"He's just learning to drive, so he's excited because he wants to go out driving with his father," Keithley said.

About 50 Nevada Army Guard soldiers from Henderson are still deployed in Iraq with the 777th Engineer Company, and are not expected home until next year. The 221st Calvary has about 176 soldiers deployed to help with security at Nellis and military bases in Northern Nevada.

The 321st Signal Company, a 100 member unit based in Stead, is activated and is scheduled to be sent to Fort Lewis in December and then on to Iraq.

The Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Air Lift Wing currently has about 40 airmen deployed to the Iraqi region.