A critical crossroad ahead
A week from today, Nevadans will gather at their respective caucuses to help decide the future of this country.
A week from today, about 130 more soldiers from a U.S. Army Reserve unit will be preparing for service in Iraq to help decide the future of that country.
The former will probably have a significant influence on the latter.
“I’d like to see more definite answers (from the candidates) and a little more specifics to all the issues, especially the military,” said Johanna Schilling, whose husband, Lt. Mike Schilling, is leaving her and their five children for his second tour in Iraq. “I would like to see us win this war and not stretch it out. Let’s get it done so my son doesn’t have to fight in the same war my husband is fighting in.”
The Schilling children — ages 1 to 8 — are proud of their father and see him as a hero, she said, holding her youngest in her arms as the other four ran around Friday in a hangar at Nellis Air Force Base.
“The only way we cope with it is that he’s there to fight.”
The Schilling family was one group of many who gathered in the hangar to say goodbye to the 257th Transportation Company. Families and friends took their seats together, some partaking of the complimentary doughnuts and juice, and waited for the soldiers to arrive.
At 10 a.m., the hangar was flooded with light as the huge doors opened and the 257th marched in, 14 across and seven rows deep. The national anthem was played, and military officials gave speeches.
“We have the greatest army in the world because we have the greatest soldiers in the world,” said Lt. Col. Steven R. Cox, commander of the 314th Combat Service Sustainment Battalion. “The war has become more controversial … but our soldiers will not lose heart as long as the American people do not forget them.”
Jaime Boerner’s son, Daniel, has been in the Army Reserve for two years.
“I just want everyone to come home safe,” she said. “Everybody wants the war over and wants their troops home. But I don’t want to have the mission half done and then leave.”
With the upcoming caucus, Boerner is a little unsure about what will happen.
“You see so many different stories. (President) Bush says this, (Barack) Obama says that, and (Hillary) Clinton says this, and then I see something else on TV,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
For many in the 257th, this is their second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. About 40 of those leaving were with the unit five years ago when it was sent to Kuwait and Iraq.
Spc. Matthew Schneider, who has been with the 257th since November 2000, said of the caucuses: “There are so many people running, and every one of them have a different point of view. But it’s hard to say what will happen, because even though someone gets elected, even if they want to bring us home quicker, it’s still going to be awhile.”
The 257th will be met up with a unit of equal size from Arizona, and they will spend four to eight weeks training in Indiana. The training will prepare the troops to be full-time soldiers and will include briefings, weapons qualification and vaccines.
Once in Iraq, the soldiers’ main responsibility will be driving Heavy Equipment Transporters. These transporters are capable of moving up to 72 tons of equipment, including tanks, broken-down humvees and generators. They also remove damaged equipment from the field.
Contact reporter Scott Spjut at sspjut@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0279.
