|
38th
DISCOM homecoming
By Staff Sgt. Patrick Cloward
In the dark of early
morning, members of the Headquarters, Headquarters Company 38th
Division Support Command,
Kokomo,
Indiana
returned from a 15 month deployment, 12 of which were in
Baghdad,
Iraq.
“Everyone is excited,”
said 1st Sergeant Mark Michael of Pittsboro, In. “Everybody is glad
to be home.” Unit members of the 38th who served as garrison command
for the Victory Base Complex around Baghdad
International
Airport
greeted cheering crowds with tears and smiles at the Division armory
in Indianapolis.
“I hope the transition will be smooth, it has been
in the past,” said Darwin Harting Sr., father of Maj. Darwin Harting
who deployed with his wife, Master Sgt. Rebecca Harting, leaving the
three older children of Rebecca from a previous marriage and Darwin
Jr.’s young daughter with his parents. “It will be an adjustment for
Haley to live with her father again,” said Faye Harting, Maj.
Harting’s mother. “Haley said, ‘I’ll just change laps. Grandma.’”
Such an enthusiastic reception was worthy of the
work members of the 38th achieved during the year they spent
overseeing the victory base complex, composed of five separate camps
responsible for housing the troop surge authorized by President
George Bush in 2006.
“For a few, it was their first deployment,” said
Michael. “For others it was their second or third so they knew more
of what to expect. Within a few months we nearly doubled the size of
the Victory Base Complex.” Troop numbers went from 30,000 to 55,000
people included in support and combat.
“130 people ran a small
city,” said 1st Lt. Brandon Holloway of Fishers, In. and Camp
Victory Department of Public Works Officer. “We oversaw the
logistics and played a major role in supporting the troop surge
building life support areas.”
Camp
Victory
alone finished three LSAs which could house and support around 300
troops, starting two more before the 38th left for home.
“Finding right skill sets for different jobs was a
challenge initially,” said Michael. “Being in the Guard we were able
to use our civilian experience aside from our MOS training to help
the mission come to pass. That’s the advantage of the Guard. It
helped tremendously.”
| 
