Fort Wainwright troops prepare for Iraq deployment
Published Friday, July 18, 2008
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FAIRBANKS — First Sgt. Steven Digeorgio compares serving in Iraq to the classic Bill Murray film “Groundhog Day.”
“You wake up, you do what you have to do, you go back, you relax a little bit, you go to sleep and then you do it all over again,” he said.
Digeorgio has already served one tour of duty in Iraq, and in a few days he’ll head to the Mideast again with more than 500 other Fort Wainwright soldiers as part of Task Force 49.
The unit has been training for more than a year to provide aerial reconnaissance and air support in Iraq for a planned 12-month deployment.
“I’m actually looking forward to getting over there and getting started,” Digeorgio said. “The quicker you get over there, quicker you get back home, hopefully.”
For Kyle Rogers, a crew chief with Task Force 49, his entire 19-month Army career has been planned around this deployment.
“I told my family when I entered the unit last July that we are going to deploy, so they’ve known about it the whole year,” he said. “I just try to keep them calm.”
Thursday’s ceremony was marked by “casing the colors,” during which commanders rolled up the unit’s flag and cases them in a sleeve to symbolize the deployment to a new place. The flag is uncased when the soldiers arrive in Iraq.
Task Force 49 is separate from Fort Wainwright’s 1st Brigade, 25th infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which also is scheduled to deploy for a yearlong tour in Iraq this fall. The Stryker brigade, with more than 3,000 soldiers, is the main unit stationed at Fort Wainwright.
The unit is a mix of both new soldiers and veterans who come from a variety of different backgrounds.
Sgt. Scott Giffin has been in the Army for just a few years, but already this will be his second trip to Iraq. Still, this deployment will be a little different for him since he got married in the interim.
“Before, the people I could call home to were my father, mother, brother and sister,” he said. “Now it’s more a responsibility of doing that to make sure my family is OK as opposed to doing it as a comfort to myself.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Capt. Brett Andringa joined the Army back in 1992, but this will mark his first deployment ever to another country.
“I feel it’s kind of my turn,” he said. “I need to do my job.”
About 50 members of the task force are already in Iraq making preperations for the rest of the troops, who leave Saturday.
Community Discussion
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The Midnight Sun Intertribal Powwow was dedicated this year to the Units being deployed. We wish you all God Speed and to return home safely. You have our full support and prayers.
Best of luck guys and gals, we enjoy having you in our community.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. We'll miss you ! Be safe.
Write to us right here @ DNM. Until you come home, you'll be in our prayers.
I second what dove ak and rob said.
I smell opportunity for some "no-strings attached" fun! Come home safe guys n gals, we appreciate and need you!
You're in my prayers and thoughts. God Bless.
I pray for our soldiers daily for their unselfish acts they do for America and freedom. Best of luck guys/gals. God's blessings.
To Imusuallyright, assume the most disgusting!
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