Single soldiers

BY BORDEN BLACK --

Reintegration process crucial for soldiers coming home soon from Iraq

Special to the Ledger-Enquirer

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The 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division is beginning to prepare for a homecoming.

Capt. Stephen Miller of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment is among those in the rear detachment getting ready for the return of the 3,500 soldiers who have spent the last 15 months in Iraq. The advance party is scheduled to arrive in mid-April with the remainder of the brigade flying in during early May.

"For what the soldiers have sacrificed deploying, putting their lives in danger, doing what they signed up to do... the Army owes it to every soldier that they get as smooth a transition back as possible," says Miller.

It's not as simple as just delivering a welcoming speech at the airfield and sending them home with loved ones.

Spc. Randi Wilson of the 92nd Military Police Battalion returned to Fort Benning about a month ago after spending 15 months in Baghdad. She understands what the soldiers will face.

"There are a lot of things to adjust to," she says. "Traffic being around, more people, loud noises. You have to remind yourself, 'I am somewhere safe, not in a danger zone.' " She said she was fortunate that her husband, who is also in the Army and has been deployed, understands what she is going through.

"The toughest thing was readjusting to family life," says Sgt. Stephen Thomas, also with the 92nd MPs. He is married with a 3-year-old daughter. He explains that both partners have become more independent. "You have to adjust and not do as much on your own anymore... . You have another person to count on."

It's particularly hard with children. Thomas says his daughter hardly recognized him and was very shy at first.

Those are among the issues that are dealt with during the reintegration period. Each soldier is required to participate in safety and training briefings, screenings for mental and physical health and tips and tricks on how to adjust to home life.

"It was identified long ago that is a necessary part of the Army's responsibility," Miller explains.

In addition to working with the soldiers, every battalion coordinates training sessions for families. Agencies counselors and chaplains put together information for those who have been carrying on at home. Miller, who has been deployed twice, explains the soldiers are different people when they return.

"They are still husband or wife, but experiences have changed the way they react to things and that doesn't go away when they step foot in the U.S.," he says. "It takes weeks or months."

Because both partners have gotten so independent, the relationship needs work. "They (the spouse at home) have a certain way of doing things," the captain says, "The soldier is messing up the routine because the spouse has figured a way to do business and the soldier is in the way."

Wilson agrees with the assessment and says the couples really need to communicate. "You feel you are on a back burner. They are doing everything."

 

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