By La TONYA FRELIX
Elnora Moore of West Point was relieved to put her arms around her son Thursday after he had spent a year in Iraq with the 926th Army Reserve Engineer Brigade.
Lt. Col. Torrence Moore of Horn Lake was one of the 124 soldiers from the Montgomery, Ala.-based brigade to be recognized during the Welcome Home Warrior Citizen ceremony Thursday at Camp Shelby.
"I'm just blessed to have him here," Elnora Moore said. "This is a load off our shoulders. It lights up my world like a flower in bloom to have him home."
Moore was also greeted by his wife, Janice Moore, two children and other family members after the ceremony.
"I can't express how I feel. It's a blessing to be home," Moore said. "So many people have sacrificed their lives. I'm humbled to serve my country and to be back."
The group left Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery on Feb. 24, 2008, headed for Camp Shelby for training. They arrived in Iraq on May 3 and returned to Camp Shelby on Feb. 14.
The 926th was responsible for all Coalition Force combat and construction-effects engineering in Baghdad and was under the command of Multi-National Division - Baghdad while in Iraq.
"The brigade's contribution to MND-B and the Iraqi people were historic in terms of the quantity and quality of missions - every day we saved and improved the lives of coalition forces and the citizens of Baghdad," said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, commander of the 926th brigade.
The 412th Theater Engineer Command in Vicksburg is the 926th's higher headquarters now that it has returned.
Talley said when they first got to Baghdad the lethal fighting was at its highest and the unit lost two soldiers - Maj. Duane Kelley and Capt. Darrick Wright.
"It was unfortunate we lost those two officers, but it was a blessing we didn't lose more," he said.
Keynote speakers were Maj. Gen. Jeff Hammond, commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division, and Maj. Gen. Paul F. Hamm, commanding general for the 412th Theater Engineer Command.
"You don't know how grateful I am to have this honor of a lifetime to command soldiers who have done such a great campaign over the last year in Iraq," he said.
The brigade's mission safely cleared about a million miles of road networks in Iraq and removed 2,500 weapons from the streets of Iraq and was instrumental in rebuilding the country's infrastructure, Hamm said.
"As you prepare to go home, you all will become a member of that sacred brotherhood of war," he said. "The history books will tell your stories ... and this nation is grateful. You have set a standard never before achieved."
Staff Sgt. James Brant of Vermont ended his third deployment on a high note. After 21 years of service, he retired.
"It's pretty cool and weird," he said. "I'm just ready to go home to see my wife and two kids."
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