Safe & joyous return for Eastern Iowa unit

Tears of joy and pride flowed freely Monday afternoon at a welcome home ceremony for an Iowa Army National Guard unit that accomplished its mission in Iraq with distinction.

“These troops performed brilliantly,” said 1st Sgt. Jason Brislawn of Troy Mills upon the completion of his fourth combat tour in his combined 19 years in the Army and the Iowa Guard.

Brislawn and more than 60 comrades in Detachment 1, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 211th General Support Aviation Battalion were greeted by friends and relatives at the Aviation Support Facility in Waterloo.

Brislawn's fiancee, son, mother, father and other relatives with glistening cheeks took turns embracing their returning soldier, whose cheeks were also slightly damp.

“It's so nice to see him back,” said his dad, Jerry Brislawn of Troy Mills.

“It means a lot, knowing he's safe and we can see him again,” said his son, James Brislawn, 18.

“It means everything. Words can't describe the feeling of having him back,” said his fiancee, Lorretta Ellingson of Troy Mills.

Brislawn, a crew chief in a helicopter unit charged with picking up casualties in the field and rushing them to the closest field hospital, said he could not describe his joy at being home with his loved ones.

Relatives said he would be brought into town on a firetruck for a community reception last night at the fire station.

“People in Troy Mills appreciate the sacrifices and contributions of our troops,” said his mother, Carole Brislawn.

These troops turned in a “stellar performance,” said Maj. Gen Janet Phipps, the Iowa Guard's assistant adjutant general.

Their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were in the air 2,250 hours without accident or incident, and they evacuated more than 300 wounded troops, often under enemy fire, she said.

Cedar Falls Mayor John Crews, explaining the brevity of his welcome speech, referred to a young girl's sign that stated, “I'm here to get my daddy. Get out of my way.”

The soldiers left Iowa almost a year ago for training at Fort Sill, Okla., before their deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sgt. Chris North of La Porte City, one of nine members of the unit to be assigned to duty in Afghanistan for part of his tour, said action there was more heated than in Iraq.

“We had more missions and more wounded,” he said.

Sgt. Scott Blakesley of Waterloo, who inspected helicopters after maintenance to ensure they were flightworthy, said he was proud of his unit's accomplishments.

His unit's 92 percent operations readiness rating was the highest of any unit serving in that theater, he said.