U.S. Marine Reserves leave Joliet,IL. for Afghanistan deployment

OFF THE WIRE
Bob Okon
 beaconnews.suntimes.com

Forty-six Marines left Joliet on their way to Afghanistan on Friday knowing they had support back home.
That is important to them, especially at a time when the nation’s military involvement in Afghanistan no longer is at the top of the news.
“You don’t see it on the front page of the newspapers,” said First Lt. Tim McNulty, of Orland Park. “But people are still aware that we’re over there. We get support.”
Support early Friday morning for U.S. Marine Reserve Company E, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion included not only their families, but local police, motorcycle clubs and veterans.
“It’s an awesome turnout,” said James Gomez, a Marine veteran with the Leatherneck Motorcycle Club, which joined in an escort that led two busloads of soldiers to O’Hare International Airport.
Eleven motorcycles and seven squad cars from local departments were in the escort for the Marine Reserve unit, which is stationed in Joliet. They are headed to an undisclosed location in the United States for final training before their deployment to Afghanistan.
The Marines have known for about a year that they would be deployed to Afghanistan, said Maj. Dion Anglin, executive officer for the battalion.
“I think they’re ready to get going,” Anglin said. “Many of them have been training for this for a long time.”
That was the same message expressed by Marines loading up their gear and saying goodbye to families at the U.S. Marine Reserve Center in Joliet.
“I’m excited,” McNulty said. “I’ve been waiting for this for awhile. I’ve been doing a lot of training. Everyone who’s going wants to go. That’s the beauty of the reserves.”
‘Ready to get rolling’
Company E has been in Joliet for three years. The unit was moved from Alaska, and its members come from around the country, although most are from Northern Illinois.
Staff Sgt. Timothy Donoho, 34, is from New York City but trained with Company E in Joliet when he wasn’t going to school back home to study for a future career in the health industry.
“It’s just a good unit,” Donoho said when asked how he ended up training in Joliet.
Donoho, too, said he was looking forward to the mission in Afghanistan.
“We just want to do our job to the best of our abilities,” he said.
Capt. Jeremy Moore, 30, is from Waldorf, Md., and will be a platoon leader in Afghanistan.
“We’re just ready to get rolling. It’s our mission,” Moore said.
This is Moore’s third mission overseas. He was deployed twice to Iraq. The support he saw around him while getting ready to depart from Joliet is important, Moore said. So are the care packages that people send in support of soldiers.
“A lot of the times we’re in remote areas,” Moore said. “Little things like baby wipes make a difference. It’s good to get clean.”
VFW members on hand
Making the Marines feel more at ease about their families back home is one of the missions of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. About a dozen VFW members were at the Marine Corps Reserve Center to salute the soldiers as they left.
Larry Shaver, of Bolingbrook, commander of VFW District 18 in Illinois, also was busy letting the soldiers know that the VFW is available to help their families while they are in Afghanistan.
“It takes one worry off of their minds while they’re over there and have to worry about survival,” Shaver.
VFW members have helped soldiers’ families in many ways, ranging from changing locks on doors to replacing a furnace, Shaver said.
The families also have other worries on their minds, like the safety of their soldiers while serving the country. The emotion of the moment could be seen in many of the faces of wives, parents, brothers and sisters as the two buses rolled out of the Joliet parking lot.
Nicole Christopher, of Tinley Park, said it was good to see so many people there to support her brother, Brian Holloway, and the other Marines.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said, although she added, “There should be more people here.” Christopher said some people have been surprised to hear that her brother was being deployed to Afghanistan, not fully aware that soldiers still are leaving the country for the Middle East.
There was a lot of pride in the eyes of family members, too.
“I’m proud of him,” Edward Mroz, of Frankfort, said after the bus took his son Michael Mroz off on his mission. “He’s going there to protect the country.”
Squad cars leading the buses away included those from Joliet and Shorewood, the Will County Sheriff’s Department and Illinois State Police.
Master Sgt. James Starr with Company E said the Marines get to know many of the local police officers because of their involvement in local activities, ranging from fundraisers to military funerals.
“We do a lot of things with these people,” Starr said. “We get out in the community.”
Joliet police Cmdr. Al Roechner said it was a pleasure to escort the troops as they left town.
“It’s the least we could do,” Roechner said. “They’re out there fighting for us.”

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