Deployed Security Forces IMA Airmen return after 6 months down range

  • Published
  • By Kate Blais
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  He was sure he'd be the last one.

Watching as passengers departed from the plane and exited the terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, James Porras had already planned in his head that his father would be the final one to emerge from the line of returning troops.

"I knew that was going to happen," laughed James, 17, whose father is Master Sgt. David Porras, 95th Security Forces Squadron, returning from deployment. "We're [my family] always the last ones."

The 95th SFS Individual Mobilization Augmentee deployment team returned home, July 8, after a six-month deployment to Joint Base Balad, Iraq. The team was the first group of IMAs from Edwards to have been mobilized post Sept. 11, 2001 and was directed to by way of a Presidential Mobilization Order.

The team's mission was air base defense for the installation, said Staff Sgt. Shawn Butler - patrolling the perimeter of the base, flightline area and ensuring basic law and order enforcement on base as well.

"It was a good deployment. It could've been a lot worse," said Butler. "I couldn't have asked for a better team, and I think we all helped each other make it through. But because we were confined to the base, I missed my independence and freedom the most."

For most of the returning Airmen, the sentiment was clear - it was a good group and it's good to be home.

"It's always an experience [when you deploy]," said Staff Sgt. Yvette Orellana. "But, this was easier than the other two. I had a group of good people to go with."

Tech. Sgt. Matthew Woody recalls his feelings when he landed with his team at LAX and saw his daughter run up to greet him.

"It was sort of surreal," said the sergeant. "But then I saw my daughter running towards me. It was like I hadn't seen her in years."

The effect on loved ones whom deploying troops leave behind does not go unnoticed either.

"He missed a lot," said Margie Porras, Sergeant Porras's wife. "He missed his son's graduation from the Navy [basic training] in Chicago, he missed his other son's 12th-grade graduation, but it's worth it. This job has to be done and somebody has to do it and this is what he does."

As southern California welcomed back the 10 deployed IMAs, some outlooks had changed.

"It's funny, you come back and it makes you appreciate little things," said Tech. Sgt. Mike Ryan. "One thing over there that was interesting, was everywhere you went there were people. There was no time to just be by yourself. I think if more people were able to do that [deploy] they'd probably appreciate more of what they have and not take things for granted."

"The nation is still at war and you guys were out there helping us out," said Col. Gregory Schwab, 95th Air Base Wing commander. "On behalf of all of your Edwards family, welcome back."