BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (2/1/11) – Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 193rd Military Police Battalion, returned home from a year-long deployment to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
The Colorado Army National Guardsmen returned to a ceremony filled to capacity with family and friends eager to welcome them home.
“When you come home and you see just how much your relatives and friends and everyone else’s loved ones support us and appreciate us, it makes it (the deployment) worth it,” said Sgt. Richard McMullen. “It makes every single moment worth it – even in times that were tougher than others.”
During the deployment, approximately 150 Soldiers provided detainee custody and trained Afghanistan National Army military police in detention operations.
“One of my goals for the mission was that we’d be a role model for the Afghanis,” said 193rd MP Battalion Commander Laura Clellan. “We absolutely were. It was successful beyond what I thought it was going to be.”
The 193rd received its activation orders on April 14, 2009, and reported to Fort Bliss, Texas, on Feb. 2, 2010, for unit certification on all Army warrior tasks, battle drills and 1st Army mobilization requirements. Soon after, the Soldiers found themselves with boots on the ground in Afghanistan, ready for the mission at hand.
“As far as detention facility operations, as well as the transition to our ANA partners, we have set the standard for how this mission is supposed to be done from here on out,” said 193rd MP Battalion Sgt. Maj. Joesph A. Thill. “It’s awesome to have handed off a much better product than we got, but not as awesome as it is to be home.”
Thill’s ex-wife, Katie Thill, couldn’t agree more. Together they have two boys, ages 7 and 13.
“It was a long year,” Katie said. “It was really trying and I can’t tell you how happy we are that he’s home safe.”
One Soldier who arrived home safely, but survived an earlier close call, is Spc. Kevin S. Syracuse. On May 18, 2010, while en route to train ANA military policemen, a car bomb exploded near the rear of his convoy, resulting in a severe concussion. He was presented a Purple Heart at the welcome home ceremony.
“It’s a great feeling to be back,” Syracuse said. “I came home before the unit actually came home, but it’s a great feeling. Now it’s just the reintegration part that I have to deal with.”
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was on hand to welcome home all the Soldiers.
“On behalf of every single citizen in Colorado, welcome home,” Hickenlooper said. “Thank you again and again for your service.”