Guardsmen shipping out today

Unit heads to Wisconsin, then Iraq

CAT SIEH

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BELLINGHAM — Aside from the scattered, mountainous piles of overstuffed duffel bags, nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the National Guard armory Monday, Aug. 18.

A group of soldiers laughed as they played basketball; others sat quietly playing video games or working on laptops. Outside, men joked as they smoked cigarettes.

Sgt. Richard deMorris calls it the “hooah hooah” card. “They’re trying to pull the confidence card,” deMorris said of soldiers who had not yet been to Iraq. “They say, ‘Oh, I’m OK.’”

| PHILIP A. DWYER THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

For many in the 81st Brigade’s Bellingham-based Echo Company, October will mark their first mission to Iraq. On Tuesday, Aug. 19, around 60 soldiers from Whatcom County and surrounding areas will join more than 40 guardsmen from across the state to travel to Wisconsin for advanced training. Then it’s off to Iraq for a year, where they’ll provide convoy security in an undisclosed location.

Pvt. Adam Segaar, 22, of Lynden, said he joined the Guard in March when he found out Echo Company would be sent to Iraq.

“I wanted to do my part for my country,” Segaar said. “I decided if my county, if my city was going to go, I should go, too.”

Segaar, who previously worked as a Homeland Security officer at the Bellingham International Airport, said he’s never traveled outside the country, aside from the occasional trip across the Canadian border.

“Dealing with the culture is going to be a first,” he said.

Despite Segaar’s enthusiastic decision to join the Guard, he admits he’s nervous.

“You can’t really look forward to a situation where you could die or you could kill someone,” he said. “You mainly try to keep a level head and get your job done.”

Segaar said his family is supportive. He feels for those soldiers who are leaving children behind.

“I’m nervous about leaving my family,” Segaar said. “We (soldiers) can handle Iraq because it’s right in front of us, but family situations at home you can’t do nothing about. You can’t get in a car and drive back home.”

DeMorris, who joined the Guard shortly after graduating from Western Washington University in 2002, said he’s used to the process of deployment after serving in Arizona and Kuwait.

“I’ve been through the hoopla before so it’s more of the same,” deMorris said. He said his daughter, 6, doesn’t want him to go, but his son, 12, doesn’t make as much of a fuss when he leaves.

“Maybe he’s used to it,” deMorris said.