412th Soldiers Head To Iraq

412th soldiers head to Iraq for 18 months
By Elizabeth Bice
[7/21/05]When U.S. Army Reserves Capt. Patrick Chambers comes home from Iraq, his son Dillon probably will be saying complete sentences and may even be in preschool.On Wednesday, the 19-month-old was in his grandfather's arms crying "DaDa" as Chambers and 30 other Reserve members of the 412th Engineer Command were deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, saying goodbyes to about 150 family members and friends for 18 months."It's tough," said Patrick Chambers, who also is leaving behind his wife, Jennifer, and sons Matthew, 8, and Tanner, 6."He'd rather be held by his daddy than his granddaddy," Patrick Chambers' father, Mike Chambers of Vicksburg, said as he tried to calm Dillon.Patrick Chambers has been in the Army for nearly 20 years, and this is his first tour of duty. "But I think we're certainly prepared. We've assembled a very good team, and we're very confident we'll get the job done," he said.During a farewell ceremony at the George A. Morris Army Reserve Center on Porters Chapel Road the Chambers family was not alone in tears and long goodbyes.
Jennifer Wilson of Jackson videotaped her fiance´, Sgt. Dan Henry of Vicksburg, to remember him while he is gone."We only got engaged about a month ago. I guess everything will be on hold until I get back," said Henry, 26.Wilson, 20, said she dreads trying to communicate with a 9-hour time difference. "We can do it, though," she said.Henry has been in the Army for five years and said this is his first deployment.
"And hopefully the only one," Wilson said with a squeeze of his hand.For Staff Sgt. Jason Belcher, the newest dad in the bunch, the next 18 months will see a lot of changes.Belcher embraced his wife, Heather, and 11-year-old son, Preston, in a long group hug as he looked down at 6-month-old Madison in the baby carriage.When he returns, Madison will be walking and Preston will be finishing junior high."He'll miss a lot. It's definitely hard," said Heather Belcher of Vicksburg.Maj. Bart Kemper, an engineering officer, said the unit has known about deployment for several months now, and before heading overseas will train at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg for six to eight weeks."We don't really know much. We know we're going to Iraq, but more details are yet to come. We'll be there to help with whatever is needed," said Kemper, a Baton Rouge native.Maj. Gen. Robert Williamson, commander of the 412th, said this is the fourth mobilization of the unit since the War on Terrorism began. The team consists of mostly engineers and surveyors who will serve as an engineering consulting firm for the commander in Iraq."They'll be on basic engineering duty for the reconstruction phase," he said.Williamson, a Memphis native, just returned in January from serving seven months in Iraq as part of the Senior Engineering Multi-National Force.His wife, Darlene, is one of the leaders of the Family Readiness Support Group and said the hardest part for families is the separation."We stay in contact with the spouses and family members and have regular meetings. We support them emotionally and remind them what needs to be done at home while their spouse is gone," she said.The 412th is part of the U.S. Army Reserve and has members from Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Hawaii and New Mexico. The unit is headquartered in Vicksburg, and the 30 leaving Wednesday were to join up with 50 other unit members stationed in South Korea, Hawaii and Europe.Williamson said the last significant mobilization of the unit was in February 2003, when 50 soldiers were deployed for a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.