The 191 Military Police Soldiers returned home safely on Wednesday into Fargo, ending a year-long deployment in Iraq. The 191st MP Company, based in Fargo, with detachments in Mayville and Bismarck, mobilized in October 2007 and was sent to Iraq in January 2008. Its members come from 40 different cities around North Dakota.
The 191st return home has been on the news the past couple of days. The unit’s demobilization process took them a little longer than expected, but they finally made it home to good old North Dakota.Many Family members and friends were at Hector International Airport in Fargo on Wednesday to greet the returning soldiers. The soldiers were greeted by cheers from the crowd and finally hugs and kisses from their loved ones. It was an emotional experience for everyone.
While overseas, the Military Police Soldiers completed almost 1,300 missions. They aided in 74 detainee releases, and helped train the Iraqi police. The soldiers feel as though they left their place of deployment in better condition than it was before they got there. “Mission accomplished,” said one soldier, with a large grin on her face. According to http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/?id=101688§ion=homepage “During the mobilization, the soldiers earned 21 Bronze Star Medals and 153 Army Commendation Medals. Two of the Commendation Medals were for specific acts of heroism with “V” device for valor, and 72 soldiers earned Combat Action Badges to recognize their direct participation in combat operations.”
My friends Nate and Bobbi Jo returned home with the 191 and I am so glad they made it home safe and sound! They are happy to be back, and they don’t even care that it is nearly 40 below zero. They both said that their trip made them realize how good we have it here in the United States. “I will no longer be taking a lot of things for granted,” Nate said, “I am so thankful to be home. I missed all my friends and my family.”
I kept tabs on my friends mostly through Facebook. Besides sending messages and writing on each others walls, there is a Facebook group dedicated to the soldiers of the 191st. http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=29414264&v=info&viewas=29414264#/group.php?gid=25353060288&ref=ts
This group was updated frequently with news about the soldiers. It was also a way to keep in contact with those within the unite who have Facebook, and to let them know that I was thinking about them. The internet definitely made this deployment easier for soldiers and their families.
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Wow, Sam! I had no idea that the 191st came home. But I am truly glad they did. I also think that it was wonderful how you could stay in touch with them. I didn’t think it would be that easy. I am sure a lot of them felt the way Nate did, that we have it pretty sweet over here. And I also feel it is an important lesson to all of us to appreciate that there are people over there who do not have the luxuries we do here.
ReplyDeleteThe return home of our soldiers is a terrific story and one that deserves to receive even more attention than it already does. When it has a personal touch to it as yours does, that makes it all the more special.
ReplyDeleteA classmate of my daughters was in Iraq for nearly a year. When he returned, it was a wonderful moment for the family. A week later, at the middle school’s Spring program. The theme of the program was a USO tour. At the end of the program, the school sang the songs of the service branches and had the service members from that branch stand up. When her dad stood up during “Anchors Away”, the girl began to cry and her mom began to cry. Shortly after that, there was not a dry eye in the room.