S.C. Native Readies to Redeploy Home from Iraq

Courtesy Photo | Newberry, S.C., native, Sgt. Carlos Glymph, 151st Field Artillery Brigade, worked in cell dedicated to countering improvised explosive devices within the Multi-National Division – Baghdad headquarters at Camp Liberty in a western section of the Iraqi capital.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.08.2007

Courtesy Story

Multi-National Division Baghdad

Multi-National Division – Baghdad

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Six years have past since the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001 and other than the hassle of increased airport security and higher gas prices, the lives of most Americans remain relatively unchanged.

For Newberry, S.C., native, Sgt. Carlos Glymph, the ramifications of the attack on the Pentagon and World Trade Center changed his life, caused a war that uprooted him from his home and family, bringing him to Iraq.

In 1994, Glymph joined the Army for the benefits and the money.

"I wanted to attend college and create a better life for my family," Glymph said. "The Army gave me that opportunity."

In May 2006, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Newberry College and was looking forward to obtaining a new position with his employer, Michelin North American Manufacturing in Lexington.

That was when he learned that his South Carolina Army National Guard unit, the 151st Field Artillery Brigade, had been chosen for activation in support of America's War on Global Terrorism.

By October 2006, Glymph was stationed in western Baghdad, where he worked long hours in a secretive cell dedicated to countering improvised explosive devices within Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

A shy, easy-going man, Glymph simply shrugs his shoulders when asked if he regretted serving in Iraq.

"Not really," he said. "Although I joined the South Carolina guard so that I could go to school and advance at work, I had a responsibility to fulfill my obligations."

He praises his employer, Michelin, for, "their tremendous support," and their willingness to work around his deployment.

The inconvenience of a career disruption was not the worst part about deploying, however, as Glymph spent the last year separated from his fiancée and her daughter, Tequoia.

"I certainly missed them," he said, "but my family backed me one hundred percent and everything turned out just fine."

While he would have preferred to remain in Newberry, Glymph hopes that his experiences in Iraq will ultimately help him advance in his civilian career. He is also proud to have served his country during a time of war.

"My country needed me," he said while he packed his gear to redeploy to the United States. "I just came here to do my part."

Glymph is returning to the U.S. this month.

• Date Taken: 10.08.2007
• Date Posted: 10.08.2007 16:45
• Story ID: 12774
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ