JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COMTears welled up in 10-year-old Ivana-Ajee Dolic's eyes yesterday as she embraced her father, Sgt. 1st Class Stephan Dolic, during a homecoming ceremony at Wheeler Army Airfield. CLICK FOR LARGE |
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Schofield heroes return in time for holiday
Some 194 Schofield soldiers are back after deploying for a year
It might as well have been the Fourth of July yesterday when a crowd exploded with cheers and applause at the arrival of 194 Schofield Barracks soldiers, the second group of nearly 7,000 troops sent to Iraq last summer to return home.
Sparks flew as couples and families reunited with their loved ones in a hangar at Wheeler Army Airfield.
Three-year-old Arelene Ubiles, unable to contain her joy, jumped up and down as she smiled at her mother, Sgt. Miriam Ubiles. "I asked her, 'You miss Mommy?' She said, 'Yes.' "
The soldier's eyes filled with tears as she recounted the loneliness of being far from her husband, Jaidee, and young daughter for a year.
"It's depressing and sad," she said. "I was by myself over there," but her husband and daughter had each other.
About a third of the returning soldiers of the 45th Sustainment Brigade are women, reflective of the entire brigade, a logistics unit with administrative, medical and supply positions. (The first group of 175 soldiers belonging to the same brigade returned June 26.)
"Female and male soldiers serve side by side," said Col. Michael McBride, brigade commander. "For our Hawaii-based soldiers, we brought them all home."
A few received minor injuries, but there were no casualties, he said.
Ubiles, who developed kidney stones while in Iraq, saw Iraqi children who would shake hands with her and play at the doctor's office.
"It was nice, but it made me sad because I didn't have my daughter," she said.
The soldier-mom trusted her husband to watch out for their little one by himself. "He always takes care of her," she said, adding that she works a lot even when she's in Hawaii. "He's the mom and the dad."
Jaidee Ubiles, who works at a day-care center, said he relied on friends to help, but also called the year apart depressing and sad.
The brigade, with 6,000 soldiers -- 385 of them from Schofield -- was spared a three-month extension to their 12-month combat tour, a policy announced after their deployment. "Our replacement unit already had arrived in theater," McBride said. If it hadn't, the brigade's time would have been extended, he said.
They aren't expected to deploy again for at least one year.
Debbie Dolic said 12 months was long enough apart from her husband, and she bought 10 special leis including a maile, made three and had two courtesy leis. She wanted to make sure she had at least 12, one for every month he was gone. Daughter Ivana-Ajee, 10, couldn't wait to see her dad. "I want to hug him, hug him, hug him and never let go."
Sgt. 1st Class Stephan Dolic was smothered with hugs, kisses and leis.
The Dolics planned Fourth of July festivities with family, friends and fireworks in the neighborhood.
Debbie Dolic said she kept her daughter busy with sports and music. "Keeping her busy, I stay busy," preventing her from missing her husband too much, she said.
CORRECTION
Thursday, July 5, 2007
» The photo of a Schofield Barracks sergeant and his daughter embracing on Page A4 in yesterday's paper was taken by Star-Bulletin photographer Jamm Aquino. Credit was mistakenly given to another photographer.
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