120 soldiers return to Henderson from Iraq

By Jeremy Twitchell

Published Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | 3:34 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | 4:41 p.m.

Pfc. Angel Salazar stepped off the bus and planted his unit's standard firmly on the ground, paused briefly, then raised it high over his head, cueing the crowd of anxious onlookers to break into cheers.

And with that, the 72nd Military Police Co. of the Nevada Army National Guard returned home.

Friends, families and dignitaries gathered at the Henderson Armory Sept. 25 to welcome the unit back from a nine-month deployment providing security at a detainee facility in Iraq. It was the 72nd's third deployment since 2001.

"I don't know how to explain it," Salazar said of the moment when he lifted the standard. "I was just tremendously excited."

For friends and family members, the day's jubilation was a welcome change from the somber deployment ceremony held on the same site in November, when the unit left for two months of training at Fort Dix, N.J., before its deployment.

The three deployments since 2001, along with a mobilization for Hurricane Katrina cleanup efforts, make the 72nd one of the most frequently deployed National Guard units in the country, according to the Nevada National Guard.

Capt. David Evans, who was on his second deployment to Iraq, credited the unit's cohesiveness for carrying it through so many deployments and for allowing it to carry out its difficult duties, which involved providing 24-hour security at a facility with 19,000 detainees and safely transporting 20,000 detainees, without a single casualty.

"It's loyalty to the unit, soldiers caring for one another," Evans said. "We've got a lot of soldiers in this unit that have been here for a long time, some as long as eight or nine years."

Gov. Jim Gibbons addressed the troops, saying he would keep his remarks brief to allow the reunions to continue.

"No other country takes such pride in the men and women who serve in uniform as this country does," he said. "And no other state takes as much pride in the men and women who serve in its National Guard as Nevada does."

When the ceremony concluded, the soldiers headed into the armory with their families to have lunch and begin the transition they've been dreaming of since last November.

"It feels very, very good," said Staff Sgt. Todd Simmons, clutching his 2-year-old son, Brayden. "It's a long time coming. It's tough leaving them at this age because you miss so much, but I think we'll pick up right where we left off."

Carey Simmons said she stayed with family in Wisconsin during her husband's deployment and was thrilled at the prospect of a return to normalcy for everyone in the family.

"I'm excited to get back to our family life, to have new things happen," she said. "Brayden is talking now, and he wasn't when (his father) left."

Brayden, meanwhile, basked in the moment. He knew his father from pictures, but still asked his mom if this was his dad just to make sure. When she told him yes, he smiled and rested his head on his father's shoulder.

The return ceremony marked the end of a difficult period for many families. Marlene Pujol said she had to learn how to control her thoughts and feelings while she struggled with daily worry for the safety of her 20-year-old son, Pfc. Salazar.

"I was always anxious to hear from him, to hear his voice and to hear him say, 'Mom, I'm OK. Mom, I'm safe,'" she said.

Now, the soldiers will use their leave time from the military to adjust to normal life before returning to their jobs, or for those who left their job for the deployment, finding new jobs. The soldiers will take anywhere from a week to a month to do that, Evans said.

"It's tough," Evans said. "It's going to take awhile to spin back up and get back up to speed."

The Nevada National Guard is providing courses for the families to teach them how to help their soldiers transition back into civilian life. Though returning home is a joyous experience, National Guard officials cautioned that it can be a difficult one.

But given the challenge that these families faced in the last nine months, this is one that they gladly welcome.

"I just can't describe it in words how happy I am," Pujol said. "I just can't believe that (Salazar) is home safe. And not just him, but all of them — the whole unit is home safe."

Jeremy Twitchell can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].