Stryker vehicles leave for California ahead of troops
Published Thursday, June 5, 2008
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When Lt. Nicolas Duimet was transferred to Fort Wainwright this time last year, he knew it meant a deployment to Iraq was imminent.
But the first visible sign of the deployment of the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Stryker Brigade Combat Team has become more apparent to the rest of Fairbanks this week as thousands of tons of Army vehicles have been loaded onto rails, eventually destined for the desert sands of Iraq.
While Duimet isn’t looking forward to the always present dangers in Iraq, he still understands the importance of the brigade’s mission when it heads to the Mideast this fall.
“I’m looking forward to going over there and helping to keep the sons and daughters of America safe,” he said.
But before the 1-25th deploys to Iraq, they will first train for a month at the National Training Center in California’s Mojave Desert. The temperature regularly reaches 120 degrees in the desert in July, and the NTC features a small village of several hundred Iraqi and Arab actors to enhance the realism of the training.
“It’s essentially the best possible environment it could be without actually going over there,” Duimet said.
Transporting the brigade’s 1,100 vehicles from Alaska to California is no easy task, however, especially considering that just a single Stryker can weigh 18 tons. John Figarelle, a deployment specialist at Fort Wainwright estimated that on Wednesday the Army, with assistance from the Alaska Railroad, was about halfway through loading Strykers, Humvees and other vehicles onto trains destined for Anchorage.
Loading one train per day with several dozen vehicles takes about five hours.
“In my personal opinion it’s extremely fast and safe,” Figarelle said. “I wouldn’t want to go any faster.”
From Anchorage, the vehicles will be loaded onto a ship destined for San Diego. And after training in the Mojave Desert is complete, most of the vehicles will be sent to Kuwait to have more armor put on them, while a few will come back to Fairbanks.
This will be the second deployment for many in the brigade. Before being reflagged as the 1-25th, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Iraq for 16 months in 2005 and 2006.
Vehicle commander Christopher Stanfield said he is trying to stay more relaxed as his second deployment nears, while offering advice to new soldiers as well.
“Make sure you pay attention, listen and always keeps your head on straight,” he said. “And listen to the guys who have already been there.”
Community Discussion
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VERY SAD TO SEE THEM LEAVE...THAT MEANS THE SOLDIERS ARE NOT VERY FAR BEHIND THEM. Im sure not ready to see my husband leave again (of course what wife is). So ladies its time to bring out the deployment box...proritys mail boxes,labels,tape and all the goodies that will make it to iraq. Dont forget the comfy computer chair since thats where most of our days are spent (waiting on a message to come in). My heart goes out to all the families that are going to have to say their good-bye's (i will be the nut on the side of the road in my car tring to gain my composure to drive). BEST WISHES TO ALL THE SOLDIERS DEPLOYING!
Our sincere thanks to our soldiers and their families.
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My thoughts and prayers go out to all the soldiers and families being effected by the deployment of the Stryker brigade. My husband was on the deployment with the 172nd and we still have many friends at Wainwright who will be deploying again. We wish everyone all the best.
To the soldiers: Stay focused and stay safe. You are in the the prayers of thousands of people now and will continue to be.
To the families: Stay strong and keep looking forward to the day when your soldiers step off the buses in the AHA and you anxiously await running into their arms again.
One small problem with this article. For many of the 1/25th SBCT this is not their SECOND deployment it is their THIRD or FOURTH deployment! Many of the soldiers who arrived as the 172nd returned had already served on 2 or 3 deployments before arriving in Fairbanks.
amandacasey99701 what is your problem??? Do you realize that alot of these wives are basically child brides who got married fast because their boyfriend was going to basic training? Alot of these wives are 19 yrs old and never lived away from home, now have a baby and have to do it themselves. That was a pretty mean post. Not every army wife is strong, and every deployment is different and every person is going through something. Yes there are "those" wives that call Rear D alot. But don't lump everyone in to whining wives. It's not the easiest thing in the world to be a single parent, knowing the other parent is in harms way, wives are not only dealing with the husband leaving, but helping their children deal with it. And children act out when they are angry sad or don't understand something and that could drive anyone to insanity! So just lay off since you aren't in that person's shoes. I've never called rear D in my life, but I am not going to judge people for it, some people just can't deal with things. But for you to say malicsious things that is just wrong.
amandacasey99701 - I take great offence to your comments. Yes, there are a few spouses who whine over their lives while their spouses are deployed, BUT they are a very small minority! Just as the soldiers we read about in the paper for getting DUIs are a very small minority of the courageous men and women who serve.
The vast majority of military spouses handle their own lives during a deployment with great strength and dignity and many of them do it while still contributing to the community they live in. My friends and neighbors at Fort Wainwright volunteer countless hours in this community while still managing home and family singlehandedly. I am grateful for our wonderful rear detachment soldiers who provide us with information during the deployment and keep our unit functioning in the absence of our commanders, but no one I know would ask them to do anything outside of their Army job!
Amanda - thats quite out of line. do you know what it is like to be in the shoes of a military spouse while their soldier is away in harms way? If not, shame on you for calling people out on something you have no idea about. If you do, shame on you for not understanding someone who will go through what you have. You should be supportive and share what you have learned with these 'whiney' spouses. Soldiers have a dangerous job overseas, but a spouse (and kids) have a demanding role as well, doing everything by themselves what used to be a shared responsibility. You better square your attitude away Amanda.
amandacasey99701..... looks like you're doing some whining and crying yourself, as am I with your comment. Deployments are never easy. There are heartaches and troubles that people go through while their loved ones are away. Unfortunately some do not return. So what if spouses call the rear detachment!! That's what they're there for. Morale, support, gatherings, and advice. I'm glad they are there!!
luv2read..... I take this time to thank you and your friends for your community service. It's always a good thing knowing that people are out there to help!! I do some by paying for meals and thanking every soldier in uniform. Between my job and my children's sports, I don't do much volunteer work as I used to. So every other friday when I take my kids to dinner, I pick up an extra tab anonymously. One time I did get caught. The young lady had asked if I wanted an oil change from her boyfriend! Although I expect nothing in return, that was very generous of them!!
Wish the best of luck to all you deploying and those of you who are already deployed. Hope for your safe return.
We will miss you and we love you 1/25 SBCT! We will be waiting with open arms for your safe return.
I agree with everyone else....you were very out of line with your comment, amanda. This was supposed to be a news article about the soldiers deploying and while you are entitled to your OPINION (!!!!), you had absolutely NO RIGHT to say what you said.
When my husband was deployed with the 172nd, I had to contact Rear D before I moved from MD to Fbks and after I got there I had to go in to speak with them in person. The soldiers who I spoke with were WONDERFUL and were more than happy to help me out and with it being my first time away from home it helped me feel welcome to the area.
Please think twice before you pass judgment on anyone.
I dont know what Amanda said....but just reading some of the comments from the rest of you it was enough to make me mad...some ppl just dont realize how hard it is for a military wife....alot of us dont want to ask anyone else for help other than our close friends that we have met while being here. I for one will be having our 1st child while my husband is deployed, he will not be here for the birth b/c I will have the baby right after they leave. So my child will not even know her father for the first year of her life and I will be a single parent in a place that I am not really familiar with. There are alot of wives that are just like me....just hang on to your friends here....we will make it! and hopefully the year will fly by!!!! :)
Good luck guys!! We will miss you while you are gone and will be waiting for your safe return!! :)
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