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Leesburg National Guard leaves for Iraq
The Leesburg unit of the Virginia Army National Guard – C Company -- left for Iraq earlier this week after completing two months of pre-deployment training Aug. 26 at Mississippi's Camp Shelby.The 120 or so soldiers in the company were trained to serve as convoy escorts and security, moving supplies between bases in Iraq. The soldiers will be in active service for the next 11 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Among those in the Leesburg unit is Sgt. Matt Dunlap, 26, who grew up on a farm near Lovettsville. Matt and his wife, Abbie, were married in March. Already the couple has spent two of their five months of marriage apart.
"We kind of feel like life has been put on hold until he gets back," said Abbie during an interview in June. "We have all these wedding gifts that we haven't gotten to use."
Abbie has since moved to Michigan to live with her family. Matt, who was going back to school to study astronomy, will have to wait until his return to complete his studies.
Before he left for training in Mississippi, Matt said he was most worried about loosing a limb or coming back mangled by an improvised explosive devise or other attack.
Now that he's completed training, he worries about how time will change him and affect his young marriage.
"I definitely feel more confident in my role and our task," he said. "I know I can rely on the guys around me and in myself through the training."
Matt, who served in Afghanistan when his unit was called into service in March 2004, said he was almost eager to get to Iraq and test out his training rather than "sit around" at Camp Shelby. But he's more apprehensive about what he'll find when he comes home after serving a year in Iraq.
"I do expect that it will be somewhat difficult coming back," Matt said. "I'll change, people at home will change. I'm not looking forward to coming back to all that change."
This is a real and common wartime fear, said Lt. Col. John Epperly, Matt's commanding officer.
"I think that what Matt told you is a soldier's concern that has spanned the ages," he said. "I think a lot of the young guys who haven't had that time to bond and build their relationships worry."
Epperly remained in Mississippi to supervise the training of other units under his command. He and his wife, Kimberly, have been married for 17 years and have two sons. These 17 years, during which Epperly spent time in Europe and South Korea, helped to build trust in his marriage. But young marriages, he said, would have a harder time.
"I expect I'm going to see some marriages falter. Frankly, I see a lot of those already here at Camp Shelby."
And Matt's concern that he will come back a changed man is a strong possibility, Epperly said.
"As far as coming back a different person, that's a very real concern," he said. "I can't tell you Matt won't see some things that will disturb him. ... When people say war is hell, that's why they say that."
Currently the Army is combating a growing suicide rate, as well as an Iraqi insurgency.
According to a Department of Defense report, there were 99 suicides in 2006 within the Army, of which about 30 occurred in Iraq or Afghanistan. This was an increase from 87 suicides in 2005 and 67 in 2004.
But the study says, compared to U.S. statistics of suicide rates for the same gender and age groups, the Army is below average.
A majority of suicides in 2006 involved firearms, the report says, and the most common factors were failed person relationships and occupational, legal and financial problems.
Epperly said he has already sent a few soldiers home from training camp because they showed signs of emotional instability that might have led to suicide.
"The Army has seen a higher uptake [in suicides] over the last four years," he said. The United States invaded Iraq in March 2003.
The Leesburg Company can expect its share of danger in Iraq, but it's not going to a hot zone, said Epperly.
"We're in combat, there's some danger," he said. "It depends on location. There are certain hot spots in Iraq. [Leesburg] Company's location, without telling you the exact location, is moderate."
On the upside, Epperly said that the war is hooked up electronically. Soldiers have access to the Internet, e-mail and a postal service. There are Internet cafes and wireless zones on or near bases. And many of the soldiers' facilities are air conditioned.
He said a lot of the soldiers use video equipment so they can see those at home while talking to them online.
It's really important the soldiers have access to their families, Epperly said. "These guys and girls love to receive e-mails and letters from home."
Support for troops has been overwhelming, he said.
"We all may differ in our political beliefs. But when it comes down to it, our country and our state are there for us. And that's really important to these guys."
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com
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