MANNHEIM, Germany - With the bleachers of the Coleman Gym on Coleman Barracks overflowing with friends, family and fellow Soldiers ready to welcome them back, the 51st Transportation Company, 28th Transportation Battalion returned to Mannheim, Germany, Aug. 28 after serving a 15-month tour in Iraq.
The primary missions of the Steel Knights in Iraq included convoy security escorts and transportation missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Since the 51st Trans. Co.'s deployment to Iraq in June 2008, the Army has scaled back the length of tours in Iraq. Units supporting OIF after August 2008 now deploy for 12 months. The Steel Knights were one of the last units given a 15-month tour.
Remarking on how challenging the return from a 15-month deployment can be on Soldiers and their families, Maj. Nicole Heumphreus, the commander of the 28th Trans. Bn., told her Soldiers that, "now comes the most difficult part of your deployment - the next 60 days. Take care of yourselves. Take care of one another."
While Heumphreus acknowledged the long wait these friends and families endured while waiting for this reunion, she said, "Eighteen days (of rest and relaxation) does not make up for 15 months apart.
Heumphreus also made sure to emphasize the importance of the Soldiers' gradual integration back into their regular lives. The Soldiers of the 51st Trans. Co. will begin transitioning themselves back into the Mannheim community during a mandatory 60-day reintegration period.
This reintegration, however, will be only one of many transitions these Soldiers will face in the coming months. The 51st Trans. Co. will shortly be reassigned to the 16th Sustainment Brigade, stationed in Bamberg, Germany, as a part of the inactivation of the 28th Trans. Bn.
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