Soldiers, airmen given warm welcome home
Jackson residents are among personnel honored at McGuire
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY DAVE BENJAMIN Jackson Mayor Mark Seda greets Chief Master Sgt. Lance Endee of Jackson during a welcome-home ceremony held at McGuire Air Force Base, Wrightstown. Endee's children, Marley, 10, and Tyler, 12, met their dad upon his return from a tour of duty in Iraq.

JACKSON- Apair of servicemen who hail from Jackson returned home safely from Operation Iraqi Freedom on the final day of March.

Chief Master Sgt. Lance Endee and Senior Airman Philip Bunk were welcomed home by family members and friends during a ceremony held at McGuire Air Force Base, Wrightstown, on March 31.

Endee and Bunk are members of the 108thAir RefuelingWing, New Jersey National Guard, Security Forces Squadron. For the past seven months, they served in Baghdad, Iraq, as part of the security forces at Sather Air Force Base and were assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Group, Iraq.

"It's a great feeling to be back and to see the families who have supported us for so long," Endee said. "I'd like to thank the community which has helped us out since our deployment."

Jackson residents Senior Airman Philip Bunk (l) and Chief Master Sgt. Lance Endee are greeted by Jackson Mayor Mark Seda. The servicemen returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.

Bunk said it was great to come home and see family members again.

"It's good stuff to be welcomed home with open arms," he said. "It's just good to be home."

With training time included, the unit was away for almost 10 months.

"It's all in the service of our country," Bunk said, referring to his first tour in Iraq.

The airman said he would like to have some time to adjust to being home before doing anything else.

During the ceremony, McGuire Air Force Base Chaplain Christopher Miller said that everyone who attended the ceremony came to celebrate the return of men and women who exchanged their place of relative safety for a place of danger in order to serve their country.

Speaking of those in command of the troops, Miller said that when the service members left, "many of us placed them into your care."

"We asked that you protect them, give them courage to face the enemy, keep them focused on the task at hand and most importantly bring them back safely to those of us who waited and longed to see them again. Thank you, God, because they have arrived home safely," the chaplain said.

The airmen were sent to Iraq in two groups and performed two separate missions in two locations in the country.

From May 31 through Nov. 19, members of the 108th Security Forces Squadron (SFS), 13 in all, commanded by Tech. Sgt. Michael Ripp, were assigned to the 407th Provost Marshal's Office, Law and Order Detachment, 871st Garrison Command, TallilAir Base,Multi-National Corps, Iraq.

Their mission while integrated with the U.S. Army was a law enforcement duty consisting of customs and border clearing, numerous antiterrorism measures to living areas, facilities, perimeter sweeps, entry control and security at local cultural sites such as the Ziggurat-House of Abraham and the ancient tombs of kings and queens.

Furthermore, they participated in convoy operations from TallilAir Base to CSC Cedar II safeguarding convoy personnel and military equipment from possible attack or seizure.

From Sept. 1 through March 20, an additional 62 members of the 108th SFS deployed to Sather Air Base, assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Group.

The 447th Expeditionary Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Ron Turk, is the first Air National Guard Security Forces Headquarters team in U.S. Air Force history to lead and integrate a large squadron of more than 350 security forces, escorts, soldiers and guards all as a cohesive unit in a combat zone.

Their mission of air base operations for the busiest airport in Iraq composed of airfield/ personal security for numerous dignitaries, vehicle/personnel search operations, which led the way to declaring Sather Air Base as the most secure airfield in the theater.

"Welcome home," saidMaj. Gen. Glenn Rieth, the adjutant general of New Jersey, who presented the Governor's UnitAward to the 108th Security Forces Squadron. "Mission complete.

"What is most impressive is that every airman Lt. Col. Ron Turk brought over to Iraq has returned home safely to their family, and the most enjoyable part of my job is to be part of those welcome-home ceremonies and to see the airmen and soldiers reunite with their families," Rieth said.

Rieth commands more than 9,000 soldiers and airmen of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard.

"I will tell you that we cannot continue to fight this global war without the full commitment and sacrifice of the families that we leave back in the communities," Rieth said. "I want to personally say to each and every family here today, you are truly American heroes."

Commanding Gen. Lawrence Thomas III, commander of the New Jersey Air National Guard, said it gave him great pleasure to welcome home the 108th.

"I considerate it an honor to welcome home the finest, fittest, most disciplined squad in the entire Air National Guard, the airmen of the 108th Security Forces. Welcome home," Thomas said.

Jackson Mayor Mark Seda and other New Jersey mayors and legislators were invited to attend the ceremony.

"We have two residents who have come back from Iraq," Seda said. "I wanted to make sure we were here to receive them and have an escort for them. I think it is a wonderful thing to have them back home. Jackson should be very proud of what they have done overseas and thank God they have come home to enjoy some time with their families."

Deborah Endee summed up the feelings of many people at the Air Force base when she said it felt great and wonderful to have her husband home from the war zone.