March's security forces all come home

  • Published
  • By Amy Abbott
  • 452nd Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  After a six month and 15,000-plus mile journey, one short escalator ride was all that stood between them and home. On the floor below, family members, friends and co-workers anxiously crowded the small passage area at the Los Angeles International Airport in Calif., waiting for the first glimpse of the returning veterans.
 
Shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday, six members of the 452nd Security Forces Squadron at March Air Reserve Base arrived home to nothing less than what the squadron deemed a hero's welcome. As soon as the first troop stepped foot onto the escalator for his final descent, before reaching the arms of his loved ones, the entire room erupted with shouts and rounds of applause. 

"This was my third deployment, second one to Iraq, and it was the hardest," said returning security forces member Senior Airman Raul Quinonez. "I knew somebody was going to be there (to welcome us) but I just didn't know they were going to be that crazy, holding banners and everything. It was a good, heartwarming experience." 

He was greeted by his very emotional 10-year-old goddaughter, Berenice Mejia, who lept into his arms and cried. With Berenice wrapped around one side and clinging tightly to his neck, he leaned over and embraced his wife, Yolanda Sandoval, who is pregnant and due Sept. 3 with their first child. Other airport passengers stopped to watch as pandemonium ensued with hugs, kisses and tears of joy. 

"It was an experience that is hard to put into words," said returning security forces team leader, Staff Sgt. Ricardo Gadsby, who was met by his wife and seven of his nine children. 

"Especially since my youngest, who wasn't talking when I left, now is not shutting up," he added, laughing. 

Six months ago, the team of six left from southern Calif., headed for Kirkuk, Iraq. But before they even set foot on the ground, they had already endured vigorous training to ensure they were properly prepared for their upcoming missions. 

After a deployment schedule of events was planned to cover all possible training requirements along with area of responsibility reporting instructions, travel arrangements were made and the mobilized troops were required to attend security forces pre-deployment training which is tailored for each deployment. The entire process takes approximately a couple of weeks but, according to their command, is extremely essential to the mission. 

"Of course, my major concern is about the safety and well-being of my troops," said Lt. Col. Cary Connors, the 452nd SFS commander. "I have complete confidence they are trained, equipped and ready to go. Like anyone else, though, I am always concerned about the fact that they are going into an area where enemy activity is taking place." 

In February of 2007, the six team members from the 452nd SFS finally put boots to the ground. Upon landing in the desert, they joined the 506th Air Expeditionary Group's Security Forces Squadron and as a small contingent, strangers to an already established unit, began working along side their new counterparts. 

"Anytime a reservist mixes in with active duty components and performs well it says a lot about the reserve and their commitment to the fight," said squadron Chief Master Sergeant Elton Ford. "These troops are a tribute to the American spirit. Their sacrifices along with their love and commitment to their families, makes us extremely proud of our men and women in the 452nd Security Forces Squadron." 

Their mission in Iraq was not light. Armed with both an M-4 carbine and a 9 mm pistol, they were tasked with providing perimeter security and ground defense for the Kirkuk Regional Air Base. Under a complete load of individual body armor that included a flak vest holding two 48 pound plates, the crew pulled an average of 12 to 13 hour shifts for three days on, followed by one off. 

"I think we all learned a valuable lesson (while there) as far as having to deal with doing our jobs," said Sergeant Gadsby. "Many times we sit around on unit training assembly weekends and we train, but we don't experience what it actually is to do our job in a true war time environment." 

The gear was not the only thing that weighed on their experience. Since the troops deployed during the hottest months of the year, the temperature often rose to over 110 degrees. When not pulling stationary shifts in the tower, the team members patrolled in High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles that were not equipped with any type of cooling devices. That was until another member of the team, Staff Sgt. Michael Woody, decided to do something about it. Sergeant Woody took over the vehicles noncommissioned officer position as a senior airman, later being promoted while there. 

"An exceptional member of the team was Staff Sgt. Woody," said Sgt. Gadsby. "It was his work ethic that made him stand out." 

According to their team leader, Sergeant Woody was instrumental in getting air conditioning units in many of the HMMWVs which enabled the entire team to better function with the intense climate conditions. While the majority of the people in the flight put in 12 or13 hours a day, he usually put in between 15 and 16 hours, working six days on with only one day off. 

Though it was mainly all work and no play, many of the team members still managed to take away enjoyable experiences from the deployment. Senior Airmen Cindy Rositas had the opportunity to attend a week long Army Combat Lifesaving School which she said was challenging, yet allowed her to hone some very essential skills. Sergeant Gadsby, himself a father, established close ties with some of the local children who lived nearby the tower they patrolled in. 

Senior Airmen Lauren Ferrari collected school supplies from various friends and family members back home and distributed them to local school children who were allowed to come on base. Handing out coloring books, crayons and a variety of other essentials, she said the children were very grateful. 

"It was a good experience and the children needed it," she said. "From the deployment, I learned to appreciate life because you sit there in a tower and look at what the people there have and what you have and you are thankful for it." 

On one particular night, Sergeant Woody had his own encounter that wasn't so rewarding. While watching a movie with his roommate that showed several explosions, they heard another very large explosion, but this was not from the television. Sergeant Woody described how, as the lights flickered and ceiling tiles fell, his roommate tumbled out of his chair, grabbed his kevlar and dashed out of their room in nothing but his boxers. The place nearby where they housed ammunitions was hit and exploded. 

"It shakes you up a bit," said Sergeant Woody. "It makes you realize what is going on and remember that you are in Iraq and that you could get taken out without even thinking about it. You could be watching a movie after-hours or lying in bed and it could be just like that." 

He said the deployment reinforced the value of many things in his life. It made him appreciate his family much more, especially his wife who he said he is thankful to for enduring the hardships of being alone while he was gone. 

Even though each one of the members retained different outlooks from the deployment, they all agreed that they took very valuable lessons away. 

"It was really an experience you have to see for yourself before you can draw your own conclusion to it because everyone reacts to it differently," said squadron team member Senior Airman Rudy Gonzales. "It was my first deployment ever, so it really changed my perspective on how I viewed a lot of things. It really opened my eyes." 

Airman Gonzales said he took the opportunity while there to spend time with the local translators and get to know them and what takes place outside the wire. He described them overall as "really laid back, really cool ... they were nice and relaxed, regular people like anybody else." 

In addition to learning life experiences, the team members also said they developed professionally and their personal endurance levels were challenged. They learned strength within one another and, as Airman Rositas pointed out, just how important unit cohesion is to accomplishing a mission. 

"I learned how strong unit cohesion is key to running a successful squadron unit, all the way down to individuals and their wingmen and being able to count on each other," she said. "You also learn to appreciate the importance of the democracy we have and that we take for granted." 

As the deployment was wrapping up, back home at March the squadron's unit deployment manager, Staff Sgt. Daniel Armstrong, was preparing for the troops return by arranging travel information, calling the families to notify them of the in-processing procedure so they would know what to expect and coordinating the welcome home with relatives and other members of the squadron. 

When the airmen finally walked through the airport, "the families reacted as we thought; excited, nervous, anxious, happy ...very emotional," he said. "It's a serious human experience." 

Being there to greet them within those first few minutes, the homecoming is, to Sergeant Armstrong, one of the most rewarding parts of his job as the UDM, a position he takes very seriously. 

"My family means everything to me," he said. "I have deployed to the U. S. Central Command Air Forces area of responsibility before. I understand the range of emotions that are felt." 

Upon their return, the members have a couple days of in-processing before they are released on leave. Sergeant Armstrong emphasized the squadron has taken great strides to make the deployment and redeployment process as streamlined as possible. 

The 452nd SFS has troops deploying about once a year now with 180 plus day tours. On this past tour of duty, all six reservists stepped up to the plate, answering their nation's call and volunteered to go. 

"It is very gratifying to me as a squadron commander to have so many of my troops volunteer for an arduous six month tour to Iraq," said Colonel Connors. "It shows that there is a high degree of dedication and patriotism in this wing." 

"They all came back with an attitude that didn't falter despite the rigorous conditions that always exist during deployments such as this one. They were successful because they were well trained and they were tough. I admire their service!"