Photo By Adam Holguin | First Sgt. Conrad Queen, first sergeant, left, and Capt. Patrick Scappaticcio,...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas -- The 423rd Military Police Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit out of East Shoreham, New York, returned to Fort Bliss April 17, after completing a nine-month detainee operations mission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lt. Col. Marcia Muirhead, commander, 310th Military Police Battalion, whom was at Fort Bliss to the see the unit off, returned to welcome home the 423rd MP Co. and saw a change in some of the younger Soldiers.
“This was their first mission and you are talking 18, 19, early 20s, this is their first experience. I see a lot of pride in them, I see them walk a little differently,” said Muirhead. “This experience is going to make them better soldiers, that is a good thing.”
Capt. Patrick Scappaticcio, commander, 423rd MP Company was proud the unit for a successful mission and for the performance of his Soldiers in a high visibility environment.
“It was successful, it was historical; it’s something we are going to read about in 20 years,” said Scappaticcio, who recognized the integrity his unit displayed. “Do what is right when no one is watching, that is what you have to think. Everything there is transparent, everybody can see what is going on.”
First Sgt. Conrad Queen, first sergeant, 423rd MP Company acknowledged the challenges that the Soldiers faced on this mission.
“It’s less challenging from a decision making standpoint, but at the same time, it’s challenging from the mundane nature, the meticulous adherence to operations procedures and detail,” said Queen. “For the younger soldiers, fortunately we had enough seasoned Soldiers to help them prepare them for what to expect from month to month, where their minds would be in terms of being focused in the mission and they kept them focused and adhering to the requirements of the mission.”
In addition to the requirements of the mission, Soldiers also had to adjust to life off-the-grid.
“I missed having a phone. There is no service on the island…but I am 22, we check our phones constantly. For the younger guys, it was an adjustment, a big adjustment. I know me personally, I experienced withdrawal,” said Sgt. Maurice Brown, team leader, 3rd Platoon. “So for the first two months, we had to get used to it, but once it got going, we were able to adjust.”
When asked what he missed most, Scappaticcio replied, “my family and high speed internet.”
A deployment to Guantanamo Bay is different than other areas of operations, due to the small size of the island and the uniqueness of the mission; Sgt. Brown immediately recognized the difference being back on a large post.
“It feels weird being back, being there is like a fishbowl, you know everybody you see everybody because it’s such a small island,” said Brown, “and now to get back in the big Army and there are new faces, it’s like being back in the real world. It’s like you take the fish out the bowl and just put him in like the ocean. It feels good, like we earned it.”
The unit will complete the Demobilization process with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security before returning home to the warm embrace of loved ones and families in the Empire State.
| Date Taken: | 05.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2015 15:25 |
| Story ID: | 162735 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | BROOKHAVEN, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | EAST SHOREHAM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 1,876 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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