Brigade prepares to leave Iraq

After nearly a year in Iraq, the soldiers of the 224thSustainment Brigade are coming home.

The National Guard unit headquartered in Long Beach is made up ofmore than 120 soldiers from the Los Angeles area, but commands andcontrols more than 1,700 soldiers from all over the United States.

The unit arrived in Iraq in June, three months before the U.S.military in Iraq needed to meet President Barack Obama's drawdowndeadline of Sept. 1.

"In the beginning, the most difficult (thing) was adapting to therapidly changing mission, like the initial drawdown. As soon as wegot here, we quickly took on the responsibility for that," saidSupport Operations Officer Lt. Col. Jason Briggs.

From just south of Baghdad to the Kuwait border, the brigadesupplies all American forces responsible for advising and assistingthe Iraqi security forces in southern Iraq. They ensure thatessential life support resources, such as water, ice, food, fuel,ammunition, parts, tools, equipment, protective barriers, housingunits, vehicles, and postal and financial services, are provided.

According to Briggs, a Torrance resident and father of two, thehardest part of the mission was being away from family.

"Personally, the most difficult thing is being away from home,"he said. "You know you're going to be gone, and you know at thestart of it you got a long time away from family. You put your lifeon hold and it gets to wait until you get back."

An Imperial Valley resident, 1st Sgt. Brian Barkins says stayingmotivated was a task for many of his soldiers.

"Knowing that you have a mission at hand, knowing you're going tobe here for a while and staying in a positive frame of mind is oneof the hardest things to deal with," he said.

Regular communication with family helps to ease the pain of beingaway.

"The best things here, from my perspective, is Internet andSkype," said Briggs. "Where we are located we have Internet access,and soldiers are able to call home pretty regularly."

Soldiers also take advantage of massage chairs, the educationcenter and college classes, said Sgt. 1st Class Alberto Borjas ofBaldwin Park.

Other moral and recreational activities have included:performers, magicians, a gymnasium and physical activities to helptroops work off stress. Chaplains were also on hand to help withreligious needs.

"We have a lot of different things we can do here, but we're justtrying to stay motivated and accomplish the mission," he said.

Before leaving this spring, the 224th will have conductedthousands of supply convoys throughout central and southern Iraq,moving all classes of supply efficiently and safely to where theyare needed.

"It's kind of a bittersweet thing. We were here for the closingand although we've done a tremendous amount of work, there's atremendous amount to be done," said Deputy Commanding Officer Lt.Col. Peter Kim. "To be a part of history is a once in a lifetimeopportunity, but to be home with our family is a higher priority inour minds."

A recent change of command prepared the way for the next unit tocarry on the mission.

"We're setting up our counterparts who are coming here to replaceus, getting them on the right track to continue what we started,"Borjas said.

Without total commitment, the mission would not have been asuccess, said Kim.

"I want people to know of the tremendous dedication of theNational Guard soldiers. Each one has volunteered, knowing they weregoing to sacrifice their families and put their lives on hold," hesaid. "I can't tell you how proud I am to be a part of that. Themission we've done here will be a part of a legacy and to beassociated with that kind of a professional organization ishumbling."

"People probably don't understand we are regular people too. Weserve without question. We don't dwell on politics and currentevents - we just do our job," said Barkins.

pam.hale@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1476