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After a year-long tour of duty in Iraq, 45 U.S. Army soldiers reunited with their families Sunday at a Mountain View reserve center, according to Army officials.

The soldiers, who are part of the Army’s Civil Affairs unit, worked to develop agricultural, economic and government programs in Iraq. They were stationed in some of the country’s most contentious areas, including Baghdad, Kirkuk, Mosul and along the Iranian border.

Most of the soldiers are from the Bay Area, while some are from Sacramento and Stockton, according to Army officials.

The soldiers arrived by bus Sunday morning at the Army’s reserve center, located at 1776 Old Middlefield Way, where they were reunited with their families. They had one last formation before being released from their tour.

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2 Comments

  4. This is welcome news.
    As someone who supports the Iraqi resistance, I think home is where U.S. troops belong. Hopefully more will be returning from Iraq soon.

  5. “As someone who supports the Iraqi resistance” is an ignorant comment and an oblique insult to these troops. Just who do you think are the Iragi resistance anyway?

  6. Army Officer,
    Though I wouldn’t say ignorant, nor do I know how complete a picture I have of the Iraqi resistance. My understanding of it comes from books like Pelletiere’s Losing Iraq, and Zaki Chehab’s Inside the Resistance (both available at the library), from documentaries like Meeting Resistance, from Juan Cole’s extensive writing about it at his Informed Comment, and from journalists like Dhar Jamail.

    It’s true I neither support this imperialist war based on lies (except through 48% of my taxes), nor do I “support the troops” whatever that means. Our first priority should be the well-being and self-determination of the Iraqi people, not U.S. corporate interests, and so I do support the resistance’s efforts to end/defeat the occupation of their country.

    But please do not get off topic; the purpose of my original comment was not to make a political statement, but rather merely to say that the homecoming described in the article is a good way to welcome them home and reunite them with their families. It’s a good article about a worthy gesture, regardless of your position on U.S. foreign policy.

  7. The last comment is disgusting and a slap in the face to everyone who is bravely serving our country right now – and everyone who has served it in the past. The irony is that if it weren’t for our troops Mr. Zelinski wouldn’t have the freedom to say such things.

    Try saying something like that in Iran or North Korea or any other terrorist state and you’d be in prison or worse.

  8. First, welcome home 445th CA Bn, Mountain View’s own. I appreciate your service and wish you all the best.

    Second, Mr. Zelinski might want to reconcile the fact that what he calls the Iraqi resistance is a murderous bunch of thugs with a complete disregard for human life, the vast majority of it Iraqi. They have no qualms blowing up men, women and children alike in Iraqi markets and other gathering places. Look up the stats and reporting on it, and then try explaining your position again.

    I Google’d your name and noticed you also believe the twin towers came down due to some government conspiracy. You also have claimed yourself a notional draft dodger, if there were to have ever have been a draft. At this point, I am going to just dismiss you as a little loose in the head, as well as a coward, the last a title you deserve not for taking an anti-war stance, but for making this thread about you and not the troops that served. In the meantime, enjoy your freedoms (to include your economic ones), knowing someone else paid dearly for them in the last 230+ years.

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