So Close to Home….

Yesterday I wrote about the excitement around Jacksonville NC that our warriors were almost home. Sadly, the realization that they are not completely safe until they touch boots on the ground was evident today. Corporal Philip Mcgeath, with 1^st Battalion 6^th Marines, was killed by a suicide bomber just a few weeks shy of making it home. His last posting on Facebook was about how eager he was to finally get back to his wife and family. Please keep this hero and his fellow Marines in your thoughts and prayers, and I can only hope that his wife Sarah finds strength in what will be tough days ahead.

God bless you Corporal……..

One of the greatest moments in the military community is homecoming; the emotions of that reunion make all the hardships of the deployment go away. Living in Jacksonville NC, home to Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River, Camp Johnson, and Camp Geiger, it is evident that this is a proud military town that wraps its arms around its military neighbors. From businesses to the gates outside of base, you can begin to see the positive messages of happiness that our heroes are almost home.

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is scheduled to land on American shores. It has made history with being the longest ship out in 40 years, a milestone I am sure that has made it harder on the Marines, Sailors, and their families. As the boots hit the ground, they will have been deployed for over 10 months and have assisted in many necessary actions, from combat to humanitarian. In the process, they have also missed births, holidays, and memorable life events that we sometimes take for granted.

One Marine’s wife, Alli Hegge, is about to cross the 14 month mark with her husband gone, all while raising four children under the age of five. Yet, true to the values instilled in our Marines, Alli is steady in her support of his career and his commitment to duty. With limited family support, she has leaned on the support of her fellow Battalion wives, who have experienced a high number of wounded during this deployment. However, she is looking ahead and prepping for the big day when she can just “wrap her arms around his neck and have him under the same roof again.” I believe as military spouses we learn to truly appreciate the moments we do have rather than concentrate on the ones we do not. It is part of the pride that is embedded in us.

Likewise, for Navy wife Tricia Ross she is eager to get her partner home to share in the everyday events of life. Taking care of her four children and balancing her role for Blue Star Families, keeping busy kept her focused.  However, she realized months into the deployment that she was forgetting to include Jeff in what was happening on the home front. “As the months went on and he began to miss home, he started wanting to know more and more about what was going on… I started sending him an email with the day's events, hoping to make him feel include,” Tricia stated.

Sadly, for some, the return of the MEU will be a bittersweet feeling. As I drove through town to see the different banners being hung I came across one for Marine Captain Ryan Iannelli. It was a Rest in Peace message and it made my heart hurt.  To know that a family won’t have their Warrior in that sea of returning troops reinforces how precious the sacrifices of our military families are.

A New Jersey native, Captain Iannelli was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, MCAS New River. He was killed while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province. My only hope is that his family finds peace in knowing that Captain Iannelli is a hero to all, laying down his life for our country. Please keep them in your thoughts.

The cycles of emotions that encompass a deployment are everything from sadness to loneliness to independence to excitement.  It is unmistakable as you travel around Jacksonville that its natives, its business owners, and its military families are getting ready to for our guys and gals to come home to the country they so proudly defend.

To our Marines & Sailors of the 22nd MEU- We are grateful for your continuous commitment to the uniform you wear. I can speak for all when I say we are truly proud of all that you do and cannot wait for you to safely stand on American soil. God bless our troops & God bless the United States of America!!!