Murray's 438th scheduled to be home Sunday
By TOM BERRY
Staff Writer
Murray's 438th Military Police Company are expected to arrive back home Sunday morning after a one-year tour of duty supporting Operation: Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
Although details of the arrival are preliminary, Lt. Steven Martin, a spokesman for the Kentucky Army National Guard headquarters in Frankfort, said this morning the soldiers will fly into the area and arrive at Calloway County High School.
The arrival, followed by a short, patriotic ceremony in the CCHS gymnasium, is scheduled to take place at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Nicole Thomas, president of the 438th Family Readiness Group, said this morning that a special longer ceremony will take place at a later date before the soldiers are returned back to duty with their unit.
Unit officials have confirmed that a “Freedom Salute” ceremony will take place in February.
“We're not planning anything special Sunday because everybody just wants to get home,” Thomas said.
However Thomas is encouraging family, friends, businesses, organizations or any one wanting to participate to greet the soldiers by posting signs greeting the soldier's homecoming.
“Anyone that wants to decorate or put up a billboard sign or something saying ‘Welcome Home 438' or whatever, we hope they will do that,” she said. “We would really appreciate that because they really talked about it a lot when they came home from Cuba - about all the signs and stuff.”
During their deployment, the unit was tasked with operating prisoner internment camps and other security duties; similar to what they were ordered to do while on duty at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The unit left Murray Nov. 11, 2007 for Fort Dix, New Jersey for training before deployment to Iraq. A community effort raised funds to bring the soldiers home for the holidays last year before they shipped out Jan. 1 for Fort Dix then Iraq.
Watch the Ledger & Times for additional details on Sunday's homecoming.
Story created Nov 06, 2008 - 11:16:25 EST.
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