GoArmy.com > Army Reserve > Deployment: One Unit's Story

AN EMOTIONAL RETURN TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Homecoming is an emotional time for these Army Reserve Soldiers who've been away from their families, friends and careers. They return to their civilian lives as stronger individuals with greater bonds, knowing they've done their duty.

Many companies realize that Army Reserve Soldiers protect the freedoms of all Americans, and these companies work hard to support their Soldier-employees. Additionally, Federal law protects Army Reserve Soldiers' jobs while they're deployed. Upon their return, the Soldiers of the 143rd were able to pick up where they left off in their careers.

Civilian jobs that are similar to the roles of the Soldiers of the 143rd Transportation Command include truck driver, boat pilot, harbormaster, longshoreman, engine mechanic and railway specialist.

	The last part of the 143rd's deployment process, getting ready to come home, and seeing the team that worked real well together, seeing the team that had really come up and met a challenge and exceeded expectations for its own self-pride and for the Army and the larger picture of the war effort.
	To see them coming back and knowing that they're going to go back into Army Reserve status and that's where you have personnel that are making decisions. Some people moved up in their careers on the military side. We had some people on the civilian side that made big advances.
	We're really looking forward to going back, but there's always that team that you had together and bonds that you had made.
	We had to go through the demobilization period, which means that all the things we did going over you had adjusted for coming off of Active Duty.
	I'm in a position where I can help a lot of people (Soldiers) and make sure that they were shepherded through the process as best I could to get them on track to where they needed to go. All the way back to their home because you're not done until you're home.