Heartfelt thanks to real hometown heroes

This September marks the fifth anniversary of my return from Iraq in 2004 to 2005 with a freshly minted Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, and the coveted 11th Armored Calvary Regiment "Blackhorse" combat patch. Being deployed as a cross level soldier to the 98th Division headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., we were tasked with a historic mission to train the Iraqi Army.

Training of a foreign army is the mission of Army Special Forces, and since the teams were engaged in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Iraq and other unnamed locations around the world, the Army created a training mission to meet the deadline of combat training for the final three Iraqi Battalions to complete the new Iraqi Army. The Army tasked the 98th, which provides cadre for West Point Military Academy, to assemble a force of some 700 senior officer and senior enlisted combat arms soldiers to deploy in 10-man advisor teams to align with battalion, brigade and division level officers. I call us the "old dogs," and as infantry Master Sergeant, I was assigned to an infantry company, commanded by Second Lieutenant Ali, a recent Iraqi Military Academy graduate.

We were part of Iraq's 3rd Division at Al Kisik, an Iraqi Army base near the Rabiah border crossing with Syria. I think the hardest part of the mission was teaching the Iraqi soldiers to fire single, well-placed shots with their AK-47, and not shoot in full auto, which burns 30 rounds in less than five seconds. If you run out of ammo in a fire fight you will be in deep doo-doo!

Idaho's 116th Calvary Brigade Combat Team deployed in 2004-2005 to Kirkuk and conducted combat operations in a very dangerous area. They also served as trainers for Iraqi police and the Iraqi Army. The 116th is scheduled for another combat rotation this fall for a security mission in Iraq for "Operation New Dawn."

In 2006-2007 the 321st Engineer Battalion in Hayden was deployed, serving as the lead element in "Task Force Pathfinder." This was a route-clearing mission in Anbar Province which successfully reduced casualties from Improvised Explosive Devices and reduced the frequency of insurgent attacks on coalition units. The unit earned the Valorous Unit Award, which is the equivalent of an individual earning the Silver Star. The citation reads "...displayed extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy..." It also earned the Navy Unit Commendation, serving jointly with 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, and is one of the Army's most decorated units in Iraq.

I write this to not only praise the heroic efforts of individual soldiers and their units, but to commend the families and friends of those who deploy in harm's way. The Army fully supports the family readiness group and every unit has a point of contact. Families know that it is truly a team effort and that they are in it as much as those in combat.

There have been many stories in the news about family support, from sending care packages to building homes for returning veterans (www.homesforourtroops.org). My neighbors here in Dalton Gardens for the whole year I was deployed cared for my house and yard and thought I was a returning hero. Well, the opposite is true. I think it's true across the board to say that the family, friends and neighbors are the real heroes.

With peace of mind that your family is cared for, soldiers can concentrate on the mission and get the job done. So I say THANK YOU to the families, friends, neighbors, employers and all that support those on deployment. You are the real heroes in my book. Let's remember this as the 116th deploys once again, and give them the support they deserve so they can "get her done" and come home safely.

Jack Evensizer is a Dalton Gardens resident.