37th Engineers redeploy after year in Iraq

By Reginald Rogers
Paraglide

	Photo by Reginald Rogers/Paraglide Kailey Flecha, daughter of Capt. Ismael Flecha, 37th Engineer Battalion, holds a sign to help her dad identify her location as the 37th Engineer Battalion’s plane landed at Pope Air Force Base Friday.

After spending a year rebuilding and training their Iraqi counterparts on how to rebuild Iraq, Fort Bragg’s 37th Engineer Battalion returned home to the open arms and smiling faces of Family members and friends Friday.

Nearly 300 members of the unit, including Lt. Col. Paul Huszar, battalion commander, landed at Pope Air Force Base at about 4:45 p.m., Friday.

While in Iraq, 37th Engineer Bn. unit members earned more than 1,200 awards for their service in support of the War on Terror.

Huszar said he was proud of his unit’s effort and was glad to see them return home to their Families after performing so well in Iraq. The unit recorded no casualties as all of its deployed members returned home from the deployment.
“It feels fantastic,” Huszar said. “Our battalion, the 37th Engineer Battalion, deployed June 5, 2009. We became the center of Joint Task Force Eagle with 1,200 Soldiers and Airmen. We were a joint engineer task force, we had a bridge company, an Air Force detachment, an MP company, another engineer company from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and they just did amazing stuff. Huszar was quick to point out that his unit performed most of its duties providing guidance to their Iraqi counterparts.

We did full-spectrum engineer operations throughout northern and western Iraq.”

Huszar said he was proud of the fact that his unit left the country of Iraq in better shape than it was when they arrived. He said he was also pleased that they were able to train Iraqi engineers into becoming a self-sufficient unit.

“I cannot be more proud of this team,” he said. “We partnered with the 5th Field Engineer Regiment of the Iraqi army and when we started, they were doing well but now that we’re done, they’ve graduated. They’re on their own and they are ready because we did independent and partnership operations with them throughout the time and we gradually kind of helped them transition.

“The same thing is true for the Iraqi government,” he continued. “We built their capacity to build, operate and maintain all of the essential services for the population and we delivered. We helped deliver that with our engineer expertise, overseeing projects throughout the allied Saladin provinces throughout Iraq.”

He said it was important to understand that the Iraqi soldiers performed independently most of the time.

He said that just like his Soldiers, he already had plans for his first day back at Fort Bragg.
“I’m going to take my daughter to her soccer practice tonight, which she has been waiting all week for and then we’re going to Myrtle Beach this weekend to enjoy a well-deserved, four-day weekend,” Huszar said. “Then we have about 10 days of re-integration training and block leave. I can’t wait.”

Spc. Trey Anderson of Company C, 37th Engineer Bn., said he was also proud of their service, but was glad to return home to his Family.

“I’m just glad to be home, back with my daughter, my wife and my Family,” Anderson said minutes after landing at Pope Air Force Base. “We did a lot of good things for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Army and we did a very good job.”

Anderson’s plans once he arrived home may have been a little different from those of his fellow unit members.

“I’m going to get some sleep. Seriously, I’m going to get some food and a shower,” he said jokingly.

Anderson’s mother-in-law, Kim Caulder, held a sign that read: Welcome home, my favorite son-in-law. Caulder said she was excited about Anderson’s arrival. When asked why he was her favorite son-in-law, she laughed and replied, “he’s my only son-in-law and I have to love him because my daughter loves him.”

Caulder, who lives in nearby Lumberton, N.C., stayed true to form and gave Anderson a big hug and a kiss once he arrived.

Elena Woodlin said she was also ecstatic that her husband, Capt. Jerome Woodlin was returning. She said she was looking forward to just sleeping together again. Her friend, Taneka Beck, wife of Capt. John L. Beck, said her husband has a “honey-do” list that needs attention. Both women said they were excited and anxious to see their husbands.

“I feel relieved, excited and anxious,” explained Jessica Hubbard, who waited with friends for her husband, Spc. Kenneth Hubbard. “I’m looking forward to just being able to spend time with him and for him to be able to spend time with his kids,” Hubbard said.

“I’m looking forward to just being a Family again. Just watching him raise his son and … I can’t wait,” said Heather Wood, wife of Staff Sgt. Kyle Wood.

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