The Iowa National Guard’s 1133rd Transportation Company is back on American soil. The unit’s members landed at the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s Volk Field yesterday afternoon. Specialist Phil Anderson of Osage says it was a bit of a wait to leave the Middle East but the company is glad to be home. He says it was a long process just getting to the plane, but then he says it was a fun time.The unit has about 150 members and left Mason City in January 2003, arriving in Kuwait in April of 2003. 1133rd member Jenny Gish of Bancroft was elated to be back in the United States. She says it would be a lot better to see her family, but says that’ll come in a few days.Gish says many of the 1133rd members were able to spend a few weeks of leave during their stay in the Middle East but she says it’s great to be back home for good.Sergeant First Class Kim Marovets of Mason City says it was a long trip to get home but she is glad to be back into the United States and cannot wait to see her husband and four kids. She says it was a big deal to pull out of Iraq to Kuwait, then from Kuwait to the U.S. She says it was great to be back on U.S. soil.Marovets says with the 1133rd being based at Log Base Seitz near the Baghdad Airport for a time and being under mortar attacks for a time, it was a very dangerous mission. Specialist Trevor Elwood from Mason City’s first thought when getting off the plane was “what a difference in the weather”. He says. “it’ a little bit colder than what we’re used. It’s great to be home” Elwood says the 1133rd performed well under pressure in Iraq.Elwood says after being gone for a year, it will take some getting used to when finally back in Mason City. He has a 14-month old son who has just started learning how to walk. Specialist Dan Deets, originally from Rockwell, was happy to be back.He says it was a big deal to be based in Baghdad, but it’s great to be back.As the plane landed in Wisconsin, a crowd of family and friends was gathered at the 1133rd Armory in Mason City to see the landing on a big screen TV. Peah Perez-Reynolds was on hand to see her father Derek Reynolds return home, and she says it was great to see him come off the plane. She says she’s just excited to see them get home and says she started crying when she saw them on TV.Perez-Reynolds says the last few days had her feeling many different emotions. She says she was sad when she found out they were delayed, and then was excited to learn they were back on schedule.After arriving at Volk Field, the 1133rd was taken to Ft. McCoy where the members will spend the next few days being out-processed. An Iowa National Guard spokesman says it could be up to five days before the 1133rd is ready to come home to Iowa.
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