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June 30, 2009

Anonymous The Goshen News Tue Jun 30, 2009, 10:01 AM EDT

Welcome home soldiers of the 1538th Transportation Co. We’re glad you’re back safely.

The 1538th is the National Guard unit stationed in Elkhart. Members of the unit left Elkhart July 16, 2008, first for training and equipping at Camp Atterbury, then on to Iraq. It’s been a long year for those soldiers and their loved ones who remained here.

The 1538th is indicative of the thousands of National Guard soldiers and airmen who have served overseas since Sept. 11, 2001. The Guard, once thought of as a last-resort pool of soldiers in time of war, has become the major force in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This change came about as the nation went to war on two fronts with a small standing military made up of volunteers. Drafting more full-time soldiers was not a political option, so the Pentagon turned to its Reserves and the Guard for manpower.

This transition for the Guard has come at a cost, as casualties have mounted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, the Indiana National Guard still has a strong recruitment effort and many soldiers have served multiple deployments. So, the Guard is strong in Indiana.

Now it is time for the soldiers of the 1538th to ease back into their civilian roles as spouses and employees. And it is also time for Hoosier employers, who these soldiers once worked for, to welcome them back into their jobs. While returning soldiers to their civilian jobs is required by law, it is also the right thing to do.

And one last thing. If you meet one of these soldiers from the 1538th, shake their hand or give them a hug and tell them you are glad they are back.

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