Posted on 01/09/2005 7:21:20 PM PST by Happy2BMe
TAYLOR -- Many of the soldiers sharing a sendoff lunch with their families Saturday are following the Army tradition of their fathers, uncles and grandfathers.
But most of them are their families' first women in uniform.
"I think it's the same," said Spc. Desaree O'Donnell, 21, of Hazleton. Her uncle and grandfather served in the military.
More than 20 of the 32 National Guard soldiers being deployed from the Taylor-based 228th Forward Support Company B are women. The soldiers were honored as they prepared to leave today for training before a tour of duty in Iraq. A group of 14 soldiers from Western Pennsylvania joined them.
"I wish I could take her place," said Bryan O'Donnell of Hazleton, Spec. O'Donnell's uncle. "But I know she has to do it."
Maj. William Yuhas said the Taylor detachment is 85 percent women, most of them under 25. He said many women have joined because the 228th is the only non-combat unit in the area.
After several months of training in Mississippi, the unit is slated to head to Iraq for about a year, where they will service vehicles and equipment at a base or on the road with infantry and patrols, according to Lt. Juan Abreu.
Spc. Vivian Corchado-Reyes, 20, of Hazleton, joined the unit three years ago with Spc. O'Donnell, a childhood friend and neighbor. Spc. Corchado-Reyes said she was inspired to serve by her father, Luis Corchado, a Vietnam veteran.
"I'm sad because I know what people see in war," he said.
Spc. Corchado-Reyes said the hardest part would be leaving her family, especially her mother, Tomasa, who is recovering from a lung transplant.
"She's taken care of me," Mrs. Corchado said. "I hope she's coming back safe."
"I'm really scared watching the news about what's going on over there," Spc. Corchado-Reyes said. "But I have confidence in our leaders, so it's good to be going with people I trust."
She said she wants to see other cultures because she has never been outside Pennsylvania. And she said she hopes to learn skills that will help her study to become a police officer when she returns.
Spc. Jessica Smith, 23, of Harrisburg, said it helps to know they're doing important work.
"It'll give the people over there a break and a chance to come home," she said.
Her mother, Tracy Dahl of South Gibson, clutched her daughter's new address and a small flag as she said how much she will miss her eldest child.
"No one's ever really prepared to leave their family for that length of time," Spc. Smith said.
Ping
I'm not sure why you'd write "Non Combat Unit" in parentheses after the title. In Iraq today, no unit is really "non combat." The terrorists are more likely to hit a support unit convoy than they are to his something like an infantry or armor unit.
Sorry. his = "hit"
Hi Happy. I guess our country still isn't used to women fighting in wars. I suppose it wasn't necessary in the past and times are changing.
These women will be sitting ducks.
Muslims consider a woman as nothing more than a cow or a sheep - a posession.
God help one of these girls if she is taken hostage.
I agree with you totally, the muslims are different than other enemies.
God help any American (male or female) if they are taken hostage by the islamic fanatic monsters.
You don't know what you're talking about, my friend.
Which part?
Evil...imo
I think everybody has forgotten that 3000 civilians were killed in non combat zones such as the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a field in PA so far in this war. That is three times as many soldiers that were killed in Iraq. We are all in this together. If you are in uniform, you go where you are told and do your job.
Thanks for the comments -- I agree 100%. I hate these "women in the military" threads if anyone is going to use them to minimize the accomplishments of our female soldiers. I've never had females in my unit until very recently, when I moved to a Civil Affairs unit. And I gotta say I'm very impressed & pleased to be serving with these soldiers. Any disparaging comments about their service just won't sit well with me.
God help any MALE soldier who gets taken hostage. He can reasonably expect to be B&B'd.
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