After spending time with friends and family, a group of local soldiers is headed back to war in Iraq.
U.S. Army National Guard soldiers of the Alpha Battery 2-114 Strike Battalion, based in Columbus — Spc. Tommy Houser and Spc. Andrew Lepicier — who is serving his second term in Iraq, left Golden Triangle Regional Airport Saturday to return to Iraq after about two weeks of leave time.
“You”ve got to do what you”ve got to do,” Houser, 22, said of returning to duty in the war. “You don”t have a choice. It may suck, but it”s such a good experience.
“It keeps you from taking things for granted, all that good stuff,” he added.
Houser, who has spent more than three years in military service, deployed in mid-May and is serving his first term in Iraq.
“It”s easier now (to go to Iraq),” he said. “Since you”ve already been there, you know what to expect.”
“It”s easier this time, because we keep in touch via the Internet,” said Houser”s mother, Brenda. “So, I really get to talk to him quite a bit. He”s just serving the country and I”m very, very proud of him.
“I call myself a proud Army mom,” she added.
“Wow,” responded Houser, who is single.
“You know I do that,” she said, laughing, to her son.
Other members of the same unit, Spc. John Stevens and Spc. Steven Kendrick, are scheduled to leave from GTRA en route to Iraq, Thursday.
“I”m used to it by now,” said Kendrick, 33, who is serving his first tour in Iraq, but has served with his unit 11 years. “It”d be nice to stay home, but it is what it is.”
Kendrick will leave behind his wife, Chastity, and three children — Rebecca, 17, Katelyn, 15, and Orion, 8.
“(It”s hard to leave them) not just for the holidays, but it”s hard leaving them in general,” he said. “It”s hard not to be here when they”re doing homework and for all the little things I should be taking care of, when I can”t.”
His tour is supposed to end in April, “but the Army changes so much, we don”t know, until they send us home, I guess,” he added.
The Army National Guard Alpha Battery 2-114 Strike Battalion serves under the Army National Guard 114th Battalion headquartered in Starkville.
The battalion falls under the command of the 155th Combat Brigade headquartered in Tupelo.
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