Earlier this month, thanks to Captain Stephen Bomar, I was able to attend Bravo 1-168's homecoming in Pendelton. After almost a year of 24/7 operations in Afghanistan, these Oregon and Washington National Guardsmen and women have at last returned to the safety of their waiting and eager families. It was quite an emotional experience for me to see them after all these months.
I had to leave FOB Shank very suddenly last fall; my original plan had been to stay for a few more weeks then move on to join the other detachment at FOB Salerno. However, the morning after I returned from FOB Leatherneck and my incredible time with 162 Engineers, I received a phone call from home. My wife, Jennifer, had been diagnosed with tumors on her thyroid and I needed to get back to Independence as quickly as possible to be there to take care of her and the kids.
I hitched a ride with Big Windy to Kandahar, then rode C-17's to Kuwait, Iraq, Germany, Canada and finally McChord AFB in Washington, where my family was waiting for me. It turned out to be the right call to make, though I profoundly regret not being able to get to Salerno, or finish taking photos for the rest of the families who sent me their requests while I was at Shank. Jenn went through surgery in March, which confirmed she had a form of thyroid cancer. She will undergo radiation treatment later this summer.
Seeing my friends from 1-168 in Pendleton after some very difficult months for all of us, was a very special way to close a loop on one of the most significant experiences of my life. Before I left, Anson Smith's mother in law came up to me and thanked me profoundly for my postings from Shank.
Her words triggered a wave of emotion. The cost of being out at Hood, then Afghanistan was pretty high for me. I didn't go to Afghanistan under contract or in the employ of any news agency. I volunteered to write about Oregonians and Washingtonians, and the cost of doing so without a revenue stream taxed my family to the limits, an issue I'm still working to resolve. But hearing how my words affected Anson's family made everything worth it. I told Anson's mother-in-law that her words validated everything for me.
As I left Pendleton aboard a Guard C-23, I knew without a doubt, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Being with Brawler and 1-168 changed my life. It made me a better writer, it made me a better person, and most of all, writing in this space and for the local papers about Brawler's ongoing operations gave me a sense of purpose and meaning I've never before experienced. I miss those things every day. And I miss those moments in the air, bringing in supplies or picking up troops who'd had a hard, long day and only wanted to get home to a bed and warm chow. Perhaps next year, I'll be able to return and write again from the field.
But for now, I'll cherish the memories I have of my time with 1-168 and Brawler. And I'll always be in awe of all that they accomplished despite all the circumstances and conditions working against them. I am proud to have born witness to their extraordinary devotion.
American mettle: it simply has no equal. Welcome home, Bravo Company.
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