WELCOME HOME 55TH SB
Headquarters Camp Atterbury – Joint Maneuver Training Center
A week before Christmas, Camp Atterbury welcomed home Soldiers of the Army Reserve 55th Sustainment Brigade after almost a year in Iraq.
The Reserve unit, from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, spent their deployment taking care of active duty Soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C. and Indiana National Guard Soldiers.
“I want you guys to remember all the good things you did in Iraq. You truly did some great things there and because you were there you made it a safer place,” said Col. Therese O’Brien, commander of the brigade.
During the Warrior Citizens Awards Ceremony held on Camp Atterbury, O’Brien said she was very proud of her unit and that throughout the deployment they all did the right thing.
“I want all of you to take what you’ve learned and teach others how to be better Soldiers,” O’Brien said.
She said when they first arrived in Iraq in March no one knew who they were or where their patch was from, but by the end they were recognized.
“Our time over there was well spent. I believe our mission was accomplished even though somebody else is in our position now,” said Sgt. 1st Class Dionna Jackson, the Soldier in charge of the 55th’s personnel section. “We took care of our mission very well.”
Jackson said once everyone became accustomed to their environment and their jobs it became an easy deployment. What also made the deployment easy was the fact that they were helping Soldiers and that is why she joined the Army.
She said they handled the paperwork for active, guard and reserve Soldiers, but more importantly they handled the supplies the units needed in order to complete their missions.
Jackson said that through it all her unit became a family and she loves them, but she’s excited to be home for the holidays.
“I love being home for Christmas. It’s a nice surprise for my boys, because they don’t know I’m coming home yet,” Jackson said about her plan to surprise her two sons.
Many in the unit plan on spending a lot of time with their families, making up for time spent away over the last year.
“It’s great to be home, and right before Christmas… that’s the bonus that makes things better,” said Sgt. Ryan Lucera, the human resources Soldier with the brigade.
Lucera said he wouldn’t mind going back over because he loves serving his country and the Soldiers in the Army.
“I love the army; I love the people in it. I think it’s great what everybody does because they all take time from family, friends and lives to serve their country and I think that’s just awesome,” said Lucera.
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