Governor welcomes Nevada soldiers back from Afghanistan
A high school English teacher who led a platoon of 29 Nevada National Guard soldiers to protect military leaders and VIPs in war-ravaged Afghanistan said Friday he’s glad to be home and thankful they all returned “in one piece.”
“This has been a whirlwind of emotion and stress and struggle. It’s a great relief knowing I’m back here with my family and to get back in the swing of my regular life as a civilian,” said 1st Lt. Jeffrey Hopkinson of Nevada’s oft-deployed 72nd Military Police Company.
Hopkinson, who teaches at Sunrise Mountain High School, talked about his platoon’s nearly yearlong deployment following a demobilization ceremony Friday afternoon complete with a “welcome home” speech by Gov. Brian Sandoval at the Las Vegas Readiness Center.
“Your service comes with great sacrifice, not only from you but from your families,” Sandoval told the citizen-soldiers who stood in formation at parade rest.
“Each one of you put your life on the line and placed your future on hold. … Every time I walk into a room and see these proud faces that represent the Battle Born State my heart swells with pride,” he said.
Hopkinson was 36 when he left on this, his first deployment. He said he doesn’t know yet if the experience has changed his outlook, but “it’s good to be back in the classroom. It’s definitely a different experience now that I’ve been overseas.”
Without going into detail about where their convoy escort missions took them, he said they were often at risk of enemy combatants as the U.S.-led coalition makes the transition to letting the Afghan National Army fend for itself.
“There is always an element of danger when you go overseas, where you’re operating in an environment where some people welcome your presence and others don’t,” he said. “So we definitely did face our share of danger, but we’re just very happy that all of our soldiers came home in one piece and we’re all safe and sound.”
A second wave of about 30 Nevada MPs relieved Hopkinson’s platoon late this summer to make a smooth transition in their duty to protect high-ranking officials for the International Security Assistance Force.
The 72nd Military Police Company has now deployed five times since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The deployments include a stateside security detail at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., in support of Operation Noble Eagle; a law-and-order stint in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; and overseas tours for operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Contact Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308. Find him on Twitter: @KeithRogers2.