Families from the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment’s Company A said farewells Monday evening during a small unit gathering at the company’s barracks. The unit, part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, is bound for Iraq. They will be in country for 15 months. “Each time it gets harder to leave,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Erik Garza, a father of four who is heading into his third deployment. (John Vandiver / S&S)
Families from the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment’s Company A said farewells Monday evening during a small unit gathering at the company’s barracks. The unit, part of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, is bound for Iraq. They will be in country for 15 months. “Each time it gets harder to leave,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Erik Garza, a father of four who is heading into his third deployment. (John Vandiver / S&S)
Pfc. T Jay McCollum holds 11-month-old daughter, Amelia. McCollum is hoping home videos of the two playing together will help her remember him while he is deployed in Iraq. (John Vandiver / S&S)
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Inside the barracks, the families huddled together in quiet conversation as their last minutes together ticked away.
Young fathers held their babies, knowing that when they return more than a year later, the infants and toddlers will be transformed. Meanwhile, some of the young spouses braced for the challenge of being a single parent during the lonely 15-month deployment stretch.
“It’ll be OK. We’ve done as much as we can to prepare,” said Tannisha McCollum, who will care for 11-month-old daughter Amelia alone while her 21-year-old husband, Pfc. T Jay McCollum, deploys with the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.
For families of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment’s Company A, Monday evening was the final farewell. Soldiers, spouses and children gathered at the unit’s barracks for pizza and tried to relax as the time to part approached.
By 11, it was time to say goodbye as the unit locked down and soldiers made their final deployment preparations, received smallpox vaccinations and waited for the call to board buses for Ramstein Air Base.
Similar scenes have been unfolding throughout Baumholder in recent days as Iron Brigade soldiers begin to cycle out for the unit’s third deployment in five years.
“Each time it gets harder to leave,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Erik Garza, a father of four.
Garza, who is heading into his third deployment, remembers being absent for his son’s birth and first birthday on his initial tour. Being gone for more than a year at a time means missing out on so much, he said.
“Now I have to put it in the back of my head,” Garza said. “I have a job to do.”
For McCollum, this will be his first deployment. As he held Amelia, he reflected on his biggest fear.
“You don’t want them to forget you,” he said.
In the buildup to deployment, the McCollums have been busy making home videos so that doesn’t happen. From reading kids books to videos of father and daughter playing together, they’re hoping the videos help bridge the separation.
“This way she’ll be able to see him and remember his face,” Tannisha McCollum said.
The Iron Brigade, which will be operating in an area south of Baghdad, was initially slated to head downrange in November. That deployment was delayed following a Pentagon reshuffling. After that, soldiers were anticipating a deployment around February or March.
Now, there are no more delays.
Capt. Richard Phillips, commander of 2-6’s Company A, said the extra time in Baumholder has meant more time for his young unit to prepare. This will be the first time downrange for more than half the company, so the extra training rotations have been valuable, he said.
“We’ve been able to get in a lot of good training,” Phillips said. “This is our time to go.”
