Photo By Sgt. Justin M. Martinez | Staff Sgt. Wilken Parra, the radio battalion detachment chief with the 22nd Marine...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., - Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary returned to Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Stations New River and Cherry Point Dec. 3-6, after a seven-month deployment that took the unit to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command areas of operations.
The unit left Onslow Bay May 15, 2009, after boarding the ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group. During the deployment, the MEU conducted training and theater security cooperation events in Sliven, Bulgaria; Volos, Greece; Alexandria, Egypt; Camp Buehring, Kuwait, and three other Middle Eastern countries. The 22nd MEU was the first Marine Expeditionary Unit to deploy with the MV-22B Osprey and was the first unit to introduce the aircraft into Afghanistan when it transferred its Ospreys to forces in Camp Bastion.
Before setting sail across the Atlantic, the 22nd MEU conducted an intense six-month pre-deployment training cycle, honing the unit's ability to operate from U.S. Naval shipping, execute raids, perform non-combatant evacuations, conduct humanitarian assistance operations, and conduct combat operations. A focus of the training was to fully integrate the MV-22B Osprey not only with MEU units, but with the ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group.
On Friday, a majority of the unit was offloaded from naval shipping. At receptions across Camp Lejeune, New River Air Station and Cherry Point, Marines and Sailors were met by throngs of family members and friends holding banners and balloons to welcome them home.
"When I stepped off the bus, it felt like Christmas coming early," said Cpl. Pedro H. Castillo, a native of Islip, N.Y., and legal clerk with the MEU. "I saw my wife, toddler and new baby and I knew I was home."
This was Castillo's first deployment and while he was deployed, his second daughter was born. Across the unit, approximately 77 children were born to MEU Marines and sailors while the unit was deployed. Many Marines had big plans for their first few days back in the United States, but others like Castillo basked in the glow of accomplishment and family connection.
"I got home and just sat on the couch, holding my daughters," said Castillo.
The 22nd MEU consists of its Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion 2nd Marine Regiment; Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tilrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced); Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 22; and its Command Element.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2009 12:58 |
| Story ID: | 42381 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,922 |
| Downloads: | 1,696 |
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