When the plane landed at the McLaughlin Air National Guard Base in Charleston on January 4, one of Bridgeport High School's graduates was among the soldiers who looked out at the sea of family and friends welcoming them home. Mara Burge, who graduated in 2008, is part of the 821^stHorizontal Construction Company, which has been on a nine-month mission to the Middle East.

 

In 2013, Burge enlisted in the West Virginia National Guard.  Originally, she was classified as a Military Police but re-classified last January as a Heavy Equipment Operator in order to deploy with the 821^stHorizontal Construction Company.  The group is part of the 1092^ndEngineer Battalion, which included over 140 men and women who returned to West Virginia last week.

 

The soldiers were welcomed back by Governor Jim Justice, who commended their sacrifices and celebrated their safe return.  Over 28,000 man hours were completed by those who served on this deployment, including missions in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.  The 821^stwas last deployed in 2008.

 

“This was my first deployment and I volunteered to go because they needed people,” Burge said. “I knew I was ready and prepared to go, but my family worried about my safety and about me being gone for so long. Ultimately, they are very proud of what I have done and what I do, but the time away was hard.”

 

The hardest part for Burge was missing the holidays and birthdays, but she stayed connected with video chats, phone calls and letters from family and friends.  She was stationed at Camp Buehring in Kuwait and was among 12 other females serving from the Mountain State.

 

“We did different construction jobs on post and there were scheduled activities by the USO that helped to entertain us in our down time,” she said.

 

Besides family, Burge missed her friends and her dog, Duke.  She said living overseas was an adjustment, as she became a minority among the locals. Because she had been a part of the unit for several months prior to the deployment, she had grown close to most of those who accompanied her, which helped with the transition.

 

The work that Burge and the rest of the unit did in Kuwait supported Operations Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, and Freedom Sentinel, contributing to the noble legacy of the National Guard. In order to help with reintegration upon their return, the National Guard and other military branches have a network of supporters that greet soldiers and help prepare them for re-entering the civilian workforce, connect with local resources and navigate relationships that may have changed while they were deployed. They also help with health care, education, legal issues and financial concerns.

 

When Burge’s unit arrived in Texas for the demobilization stage, they found out the exact day they would be returning to West Virginia and the anticipation began to build for all of them. 

 

“The Welcome Home Ceremony was just amazing,” said Burge.  “It’s so emotional and to look out and see my mom and dad and brother and sister in the crowd at the airport was so amazing.  My sister was in the front row with a sign and as soon as she saw me, she ran toward me to hug me and welcome me home, followed by the rest of the family.”

 

For her first week home, Burge is unpacking, eating her grandma’s homemade cooking, and spending time with those she loves.  She has missed birthday parties, anniversaries, births, sporting events and surgeries while she was gone and that was difficult, but nothing will ever beat the feeling of seeing hundreds of families welcoming the unit back.

 

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” said Burge.

 

We thank you for your service.