The troops are bound for Iraq after a brief stop at Fort Drum, New York.
LEWISTON
Staff Sergeant Earl Holt heads for Iraq today, for the second time. This time, he leaves behind a new bride and two sons, just baptized.
During an official National Guard send-off for Charlie Company of the 133rd Engineer Battalion on Saturday, Holt and Tammy Arbo of Sidney exchanged wedding vows and long kisses in a small upstairs armory room. At the same time, 112 soldiers and their families listened downstairs to encouraging speeches and shared an afternoon meal.
Immediately after the wedding ceremony, Tammy and sons Cole, 5, and Hunter, 5 months, received the baptism sacrament. The same chaplain performing Sunday’s ceremonies, Episcopal Priest David Sivret, also baptized Holt last year in South Dakota during annual training.
The biggest sigh of relief in the room came from Tammy’s mother, Lynette Arbo.
“It’s been a very touching day,” said Arbo. “I hope this lasts a lifetime. The children need both parents.”
After bringing up marriage for seven years, Holt and his bride decided the day after Christmas that the time for talk was over. Holt, along with 500 men and women from four companies in Maine, got his orders in early November to ship out on Dec. 15. Some official telephone calls and changes in plans allowed the soldiers to stay with their families until after the holidays.
“This was it,” said Tammy Holt. “There wasn’t any other time to do it. We were going to baptize the boys after he left, but he didn’t want to miss it.”
Capt. Marleen Lajoie said that nine weddings for Charlie Company soldiers have taken place since November.
Holt, who has served full time for 13 years as National Guard supply sergeant, had been deployed to Iraq during Desert Storm. When he got his deployment notice this time around, there was more at stake.
“I thought I knew what it would be like,” said Holt. “But everything’s different once you get your orders. This time, I’ve been involved in a lot of the planning, and it’s a whole new ballgame.”
Holt’s wife didn’t want to talk about the possibilities of her new husband serving in war, and son Cole only knew that his dad was going somewhere that sounded like “the rack.”
For many of the other soldiers, this deployment will mark their first into actual battle. Soldiers from Charlie Company of Lewiston and Norway, Alpha Company of Belfast, Bravo Company of Westbrook and Headquarters Support Company of Portland make up the 133rd Battalion. These soldiers will leave for Fort Drum in New York over the next three days, said Lajoie. They will stay there for several weeks of additional training before getting their orders to go overseas, Lajoie said.
Officers acknowledged the fear, excitement and anxiety felt by the soldiers and their families. They offered advice and assurances Sunday and warned against allowing rumors to weaken their resolve.
“We’ll keep an eye on your families back here,” said Major General Joseph Tinkham. “You keep an eye on each other out there.”
Lt. Col. John Jansen promised his men and women that they would know any information as soon as he did. “Rumors can really hurt a unit,” said Jansen. “What we know will come through the chain of command as soon as we know it. Just trust the truth.”
Families previously received extensive information packages from the National Guard to help cope with issues of separation and of dealing with daily tasks without their spouses, said Lajoie. Family members can call 1-888-365-9287 at any time with any questions, the personnel officer said.
“The Guard is really good about supporting families,” said Bonnie Chapman of Lisbon, whose husband Mark Chapman belongs to Charlie Company. “It was really good that he got to stay for the holidays.”
However, Chapman’s 7-year-old son Erik informed his dad that he wasn’t going to “re-sign up” when he came home. Erik said he would write letters and send lots of pictures to his dad while he was gone.
The sacrifice of National Guard soldiers and their families impressed and amazed former Lewiston mayor John Jenkins, who trained the soldiers Tuesday in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat.
“I really feel like I came late to the dance,” said Jenkins. “The level of sacrifice just blows me away.”
During the time Jenkins spent with the company, he learned of men and women who gave up promotions because of having to be away for the next 18 months. Several will have to look for new homes because of apartment leases expiring during their tour of duty. Many soldiers own their own businesses and have had to close, said Jenkins.
Jenkins added that he felt extremely honored to have been invited by the soldiers to Sunday’s event. He said he has a new level of respect for what the soldiers and their families endure.
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