Marine Corps News Room

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=73720

4/11/2007 2:21:29 PM

Marine commanders say while the return is happy, there can be hurdles for the families to get over.

Alpha company has served in Iraq for almost six months and commanders say it has been a tough deployment.

"We've lost four marines from Alpha company in combat and we've had another dozen marines wounded so they've been serving under very difficult conditions," said Lt. Col. Joe Rossi. "So the marines are excited to get home with their families and these families are very excited to hold their marines in their arms once again."

Before their return to Grand Rapids, Alpha Company will spend a few days in California for medical exams.

Michigan Reservists come from all over the state and even Ohio.

Peacetime Wartime Support Team Officer Major S.D. Wiley says, "Reserve Battalion Marines are divided across the state in Lansing, Saginaw, Selfridge ANGB and even as far away as Perrysburg Ohio."

The Reservist group has seen some action in combat and they've lost some brothers along the way. Lt. Col. Rossi says, "That's certainly true. These marines have been in the heart of the Al Anbar Province, in the vicinity of Fallujah. They have been engaged in combat every day they've been over there. We've had four marines killed in action, Sgt. Tom Gilbert, Lance Corporal Jonothan Thornsberry, Corporate Jacob Neal and Private First class Brett Witteveen," they will not be forgotten.

One of the operations they conducted, with the support of the Grand Rapids community was a donation of $24,000 of supplies to Fallujah General Hospital which was inside the Alpha Companies area of operations.

"They saw the hospital was in need and got some great response from the community of Grand Rapids," says Lt. Col. Rossi. "I know the families are extremely proud of what they've done. They're just waiting to get their boys in their arms."

The Grand Rapids based unit is still overseas in Iraq. The unit is currently working with an active duty unit from Camp Lejeune South Carolina to turn over their operation. The Iraq transition takes 2-3 weeks and is then turned over to the new unit from Lejeune. Once their replacements are trained the Alpha Company will leave from Kuwait and come to an LLOC location dealing with supply issues, medical and dental screenings and to debrief in California.

Major S.D. Wiley says, "They'll be coming over in multiple waves over a 5 day period." The Major says the Alpha Company, over a 5-6 day period, should return to Michigan sometime in late April or early May.

The Alpha Company will return to their Home Training Center in Grand Rapids for their final administration process sometime in May and will go back into Reserve status.