Published: July 03, 2008 09:30 am         

Guardsmen return to Fort Wolters

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

Men in uniform are once again training at Fort Wolters en mass as the National Guard's 1-112th Calvary call the training facility home during the summer, preparing for their deployment to the Middle East.

The soldiers were greeted with fire trucks and modest fanfare Saturday. The Mineral Wells Fire Department and the Cool-Garner Volunteer Fire Department shot streams of water over Washington Road representative of crossed sabers, the squadron's emblem.

The Cool-Garner VFD escorted the unit from Weatherford to Mineral Wells. Fire Chief Rodney Robertson said one of their volunteers is a member of the National Guard at Fort Wolters and got the department involved.

With their engine, tanker and two brush trucks, the seven-member department drove with the squadron's first group to the entrance of Wolters Industrial Park.

“We have two vets [in the department],” Robertson said. “We try to do our best to honor our troops when there's a special occasion like that.”

The arriving guardsmen “were completely blown away,” said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gaudsmith. “That was so neat.”

Arriving from Fort Polk, La., Gaudsmith said, “Our unit is based mainly out of Waco with some coming out of Dallas [with] approximately 450 men.”

Prior to their arrival, the training facility underwent “quite a lot of preparation,” he said, with the most obvious being the addition of five new housing trailers.

During their stay in Mineral Wells, Gaudsmith explained, “Basically, we're training for the Global War on Terror - a lot of general tasks soldiers need to conduct in Iraq from individual marksmanship to how to maneuver a platoon.”

He explained they received a lot of new modern equipment such as night optics that the soldiers will familiarize themselves with during their pre-mobilization training.

For some of the soldiers, this will be their first deployment, though there are some guardsmen who have already been overseas once or twice. According to Gaudsmith, the soldiers “run the gamut” of experience with young men fresh out of high school to those with more than 20 years of experience in the National Guard.

With the vast amount of life experience represented in their squadron, the lieutenant colonel said the National Guard is “in a unique position to help with building.” He explained that the soldiers have skill sets from their own backgrounds which would be beneficial to building a country to stand on its own.

“It's almost like we're trying to teach them about the positive aspects of our culture,” he remarked. “I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to go over there with the squadron. I want the squadron to be well trained, go over there, help out and come back.”

Part of what makes their deployment easier is having a support system behind them, he said. “For guards to deploy here, they can not do it without a supportive family.”

Referring to the welcome they received Saturday, Gaudsmith said that type of action has a lasting, positive impact on the soldiers.

“I don't think the guys are scared, but it's natural to be apprehensive about the unknown,” he said. “I think it'll do more good than you'll ever know because it kind of confirms their decision to stand for the flag.

“Every soldier has stood up and sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution. It confirms to them they made the right decision.”