Photo by Sgt. Roger Ashley
Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Sims, left, and Lt. Col. Adam Roth furl the flag of the 844th Engineer Battalion on Monday at Fort McCoy, Wis. The flag will next fly during the battalion’s deployment on Kuwaiti or Iraqi soil.
FORT MCCOY, Wis. - The next time the soldiers of the 844th Engineer Battalion fly their flag, it won't be on U.S. soil.The Knoxville-based battalion's Army reservists furled their colors Monday in preparation for departure to Iraq - the unit's third deployment there since 1991.
It's the first trip over for Spc. Shawn Metcalf of Pigeon Forge.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he said. "I'm a little nervous, excited and scared, all at the same time. I can't wait to get there, get done and get back."
The battalion left home two months ago for training here. During their stay, the roughly 200 East Tennesseans and others from neighboring states picked up more soldiers from around the country - ending up with a task force of about 700 troops who hail from as far away as California, Texas and Ohio.
The soldiers hope to come home after about a year of construction projects in Iraq that could range from work on bases to public improvements for civilians. The ranks include plumbers, carpenters, surveyors, electricians and just about every skill in between.
Memorial Day served as a day of farewells with a send-off ceremony at the base, complete with a parade of the task force and a salute from Maj. Gen. Paul Hamm, commander of the 412th Engineer Command.
Hamm, who oversees all reserve units east of the Mississippi, said the time couldn't be more fitting.
"It's very appropriate that this ceremony be conducted today as we pause to remember and honor those who serve, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice," he said. "It's an honor to share Memorial Day with a diverse group of soldiers such as you. Soldiering is not an easy task. Your nation needs you. And again, unselfishly, you step forward to answer that call."
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