Iraq is behind us now.

After nearly 330 days, all of the 314th PAOC Soldiers are now out of Iraq and on our way home.   The last 8 of us, including LTC Perez and me, left Baghdad International Airport right at the end of Veterans Day.  Four of our Soldiers are already at Fort Dix doing the work of the advanced party…and the rest of us will join them in a few days.

We all slept in yesterday morning, and then started the work day with an awards ceremony.  SGTs Autumn Hope, Mary Lee and Kellena Leech all received an Army Achievement Medal for work they did toward the end of our year in Iraq.  SSG Jeremy Fowler received a Certificate of Achievement for an incredible end-of-tour magazine he created thata spotlighted all our Soldiers.  Family members might want to look at the magazine to get some insight into the experiences of their loved ones.  Finally, SGT Kellena Leech and 1SG Glassford got the great news from the commander that they had both been selected to be recipients of a $500 USAA Army Reserve Scholarship that they can use for their schooling in 2010. 

If that was not enough good news, we also got word late in the day yesterday that SGT Kevin McSwain was recommended for promotion to staff sergeant.  For those of you keeping track, that makes 70 percent of the Soldiers in the 314th PAOC promoted from the time we came together last year.  I am sure this is a record of some sort….and this last promotion was a great way to end the year.

We are looking forward to coming home, but are glad to have the time here in Kuwait to decompress a bit and relax.  When we land at Fort Dix, we will be able to contact our families and update them.  It will likely be a few days there to complete some very important outprocessing paperwork and medical exams.  Soldiers will have time, however, to call and email families and give them details of their arrivals times into Birmingham and elsewhere. 

Of course, we are all excited about the Warrior Leader Course training that SGTs Anderson and Richardson, and SPCs Clifton and Wright will be attending before they return home to Alabama.  I plan to stay there with them until they check into the NCO Academy.  Thanks to the special fitness training from SGT Hope, they are in better shape than they have been in a long time…and I am sure they will all be making use of the fitness facilities there at Fort Dix and Maguire Air Force Base to prepare for their fitness test on the first day of class (we are all hoping it will not be snowing that day).

Thank you again to Del Tull — and all the family members — for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.  We will be home soon to share all the details of our experience in Iraq.

The next time the Soldiers of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center put on their dress uniform, you will notice a lot more color on their chest.  That is because they have earned several new military awards.  In two separate ceremonies — one at the Combined Press Information Center and one at the U.S. Embassy — our Soldiers were honored for their service and achievements.

The military has a tradition of presenting awards for a job well done, for a specific achievement, or for length of service.  All of our Soldiers received at least some of these type of awards, and those who had never deployed before, or were new to the Army and Army Reserve recieved even more of them.

Here are some pictures of the awards you might see on your friend or loved one’s dress uniform in the near future:

Every Soldier receives an Overseas Service Ribbon for completing their tour here.