Unit embarks on mission to Iraq

Jace Radke

Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004 | 11:14 a.m.

A company of Nevada Army National Guard soldiers said goodbye to their loved ones this morning as they embarked on an 18-month deployment to Iraq and Kuwait.

Members of 175-person 1864th Transportation Company were to board planes at McCarran International Airport today to fly to Fort Lewis, Wash., where they will await orders that will send them to the Middle East.

Pfc. Mike Gutierrez is leaving behind a wife pregnant with his first child.

"She's about ready to pop, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get some leave to come back and see her and my boy when he is born," said Gutierrez, 23, as he chatted with friends before boarding a bus at the Henderson Armory this morning. "I'm not afraid to go do our mission, but I don't want to be away from my family.

"They are always going to be in my mind."

Wives, children and other family members gathered at the armory this morning to see the soldiers off. A cool breeze rippled the miniature flags that children waved as wives and girlfriends embraced the soldiers.

The 1864th will haul water, ammunition and supplies via tractor-trailers through the deserts of Iraq and Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit's trucks will be either flown or shipped to the Middle East, Nevada Army Guard spokeswoman 1st Lt. April Conway said.

While the majority of the soldiers with the 1864th are from Las Vegas and Henderson, as many as 60 of the soldiers heading overseas with the unit hail from Reno, Winnemucca and Elko.

The soldiers will be in Fort Lewis anywhere from two weeks to three months before moving on to the Middle East, Conway said.

Barbara Phillips watched her husband, Sgt. James Phillips, leave with the 1864th's 10-member advance team on Wednesday, but still brought her three children to the armory today to see the rest of the unit off.

"It's been tough, but we wanted to show our support for everyone," said Barbara, whose husband has been in the National Guard for 16 years and was previously deployed in Desert Storm. "At least with Desert Storm we knew what to expect, but every day there is something different going on in Iraq."

Phillips' children held a banner with the words, "We support the 1864th" stitched on it as two buses of soldiers pulled out of the armory parking lot about 8:30 a.m.

"I try not to think about what could happen to my dad," 14-year-old Donna Phillips said. "I don't like to watch the news."

Dave Rottenberg, a 19-year-old private, said he understands the fears family and friends have because truck drivers and civilians have been the targets of attacks in Iraq.

"We can't control what's going to happen, but we are ready to react," Rottenberg said. "We know our trucks inside and out, and we are trained to do our job."

Rottenberg, who was born in Taiwan, became a U.S. citizen on July 30.

"I just feel it's every American's job to serve the country," Rottenberg said. "Being a citizen has made serving a lot more important to me."

While other soldiers boarded the buses this morning Pfc. Sean Canfield, 20, stood to the side with his girlfriend in his arms. Erika Yarza, 20, hugged Canfield and said she couldn't believe how fast the last month had gone by as he prepared to leave.

Canfield said he planned to "use phones, cell phones and e-mail to keep in touch" as much as possible.

"I just want to get over there and get done with what we need to do so I can come back home," he said.

The 1864th is one of two Nevada units deploying today. Tonight about 600 soldiers with the Las Vegas-based 221st Cavalry Squadron will participate in a farewell ceremony as they prepare for an 18-month deployment to Fort Irwin, Calif.

The unit specializes in driving M1A1 Abrams tanks and will take over the mission of acting as opposing forces in training for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, which has been called to duty overseas.

With the two deployments, more than half of Nevada's Army National Guard soldiers will be mobilized, ranking Nevada as one of the states with the highest percentage of mobilized troops.

Statewide there are about 2,000 Army Guardsmen, and now there are more than 1,025 soldiers mobilized. Along with the state's Army National Guard soldiers, there are about 1,000 Air National Guard troops in the state. About 200 of those Reno-based airmen are currently on active duty, with about 60 serving overseas, Conway said.