Serving in Iraq information & news page 37

An emotional farewell for soldiers, loved ones
Families gather at picnic to say goodbye to 14 Army reservists who are being deployed to Iraq

By LEIGH HORNBECK

SCHENECTADY -- The deployment of 14 members of the Army Reserve, 1st Battalion, 389th Regiment will transfer much of its command structure to Iraq.
The soldiers, 13 men and one woman, are scheduled to leave Wednesday for training at either Fort Bliss in Texas or Camp Atterbury, Ind. Afterward, they will travel to Iraq, where for the next year they will be part of the 98th Division and help

Sunday, they gathered at the U.S. Army Reserve Center on Hillside Avenue for a picnic with their families under a flawless blue sky.

The soldiers, several of them men in their 40s with 20 years behind them in the Reserves, were selected for their expertise in training drill sergeants, said Maj. Bryan Amedio, who will remain home as the battalion's commanding officer.

About half of those being deployed are in leadership positions, including seven noncommissioned officers, who are being called up for their leadership skills. That represents much of the battalion's command structure, officials said.

Seven other members of the battalion already are stationed in Iraq.

Amedio said he was not allowed to give details about the mission or where exactly in Iraq the soldiers are headed.

More than 400,000 members of the Guard and Reserve have been mobilized since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and more than 167,000 are on active duty, according to the Pentagon. Almost 40 percent of the U.S. force in Iraq is made up of these part-time forces.

For Maj. Martin O'Brien of Troy, 41, and his wife of five years, Sharon O'Brien, the deployment will be the first time the couple has been separated for longer than Martin O'Brien's annual two-week training.

"We had to do things I never thought I would be doing at this point in our lives," said Sharon O'Brien, referring to her husband's will and the health proxies the two of them arranged in preparation for his departure.

There already has been a reassignment of duties within the O'Brien house.

"He usually takes care of the outside, I take care of the inside," Sharon O'Brien said.

Martin O'Brien said they have a large network of family and friends who have volunteered to rake the lawn and shovel snow.

It is the everyday pleasures the soldiers will miss the most. Martin O'Brien, who works as a civilian for the state Department of Transportation as a construction engineer, said he will miss corned beef and cabbage dinners.

The couple already has their eye toward O'Brien's return: an extended trip to Aruba. It is an annual trip they will both miss this year, Sharon O'Brien said.

The sole woman in the deployment, 26-year-old Sgt. Natesha Lovell of Albany said she will miss hot peppered shrimp, french fries and the Strawberry Sensation drinks she served as a part-time worker at Orange Julius in Crossgates Mall.

It was at the mall that Lovell joined the Reserves two years ago after she was approached by a recruiter. It was something to do, she said.

"I always wanted to work in a protective services field, in the Army or as a cop or a lawyer," Lovell said.

Sept. 11 further motivated her to join the Army, she added.

"I wanted to contribute and I didn't know how," Lovell said.

Now, she is neither "stressed or happy," because she doesn't know what to expect. The soldiers know the perimeters of their mission, but they will not learn the specifics until they arrive in Iraq.

Lt. Col. Dan Christian said his 13-year-old son, Andrew, summed up his absence the best. "He said, 'Who will be there to see me when I score a goal in soccer?' " Christian said.

Christian, 41, will miss Andrew's 14th birthday and his other son, Brian, turn 9. One of seven brothers, he also will miss the family party on Christmas Eve.

Although the battalion was put on alert in July that its soldiers might be sent to Iraq, Christian did not get his orders until two weeks ago.

His wife, Donna Christian, their sons and both of Christian's parents were at the picnic Sunday.

"It wasn't a surprise, but we were hoping it wouldn't happen," said Joe Christian, the soldier's father.

"I can't comment on (the war) I have mixed emotions," he said. "But we're very proud of him and they are all so positive. They have to be, they're trained and this is what they want to do."

Donna Christian's voice shook as she described her feelings leading up to her husband's departure.

"I want to be positive," she said. "The most important thing for me is to stay strong for my kids."