We began our redeployment towards mid-May when we were about a month away from returning to Germany. At that point, an advance party from the 141st Signal Battalion, 1st Armored Division out of Bad Kreuznach, Germany arrived and began touring the areas they would be taking over. We began packing things up and preparing our equipment for the trip back. As the next couple of weeks went by we began getting closer to leaving and you could tell. Most of our personal stuff was being mailed back or packed into the platoon conex. Then we moved into other seahut's a day before the troops from 141st Signal Battalion began arriving to replace us. I start the pictures there.
We moved our sign from the node center area to here since
the 141st Signal Battalion troops had taken over the link.
Here is the inside of the seahut room with most of the
NCO's. That's SGT Quarles posing for the camera. I think
we had about 12 people in that room made for only six. We
didn't care since in a few days we'd be back in Germany!!
The day we leave Camp Monteith. The night before had been a long night
with us having to go out to the Russian site and help them do the switch
over of equipment with the 141st Signal Battalion troops. Then we
convoyed back to Camp Monteith and got a couple hours of sleep.
I took this picture right after the convoy briefing by 1LT Morgan
and just before we were going to hit the road to Camp Bondsteel.
This is the whole of 1st Platoon except for a couple troops who
we were going to meet up with once we got to Camp Bondsteel.
Due to a shortage of *licensed* drivers, I was driving by myself and
taking all of the pictures on the road at the same time. Here we are
in the convoy to Camp Bondsteel on the Ring Road around Gnjilane.
Parked at Camp Bondsteel. We'd spend a day or two here before rolling
out for Camp Able Sentry in Macedonia. Right where we started from!
And once more, the waiting began. This is
SPC Broussard, left, and SGT Evans, right.
Just like the trip to Kosovo, we were to be back in the tents for the
trip back. Only this time it was hot outside which is worse than cold.
No A/C to make it comfortable like those heaters we had before.
A game of dominoes while we waste away the day. From left to right:
SGT Harvey, SGT Ferguson holding up his hands, and SGT Quarles.
After about two hours of sitting in the sweltering heat of the tents
we discovered they didn't kick you out of the dining facility in between
serving chow. Since they had A/C there, a TV, and *food* we all began
hanging out there during the hot parts of the day. You know, from sunrise
to sunset. One or two of us would wander over shortly after breakfast
and in an hour or two, everyone from the company would be there.
Another picture in the dining facility. From left to right: SGT Bell with the
sunglasses, SPC Barrett with back to camera, SPC Lopez smiling, PFC Torgerson
with cards, SSG Haley with no hair, I think that's the platoon sergeant SFC Cliff
behind SSG Haley, SFC Rambert is next on the far right watching TV.
One thing we did get to see was a concert by Tonic on Camp Bondsteel. It was
free and originally I wasn't going to go, but I changed my mind at the last
minute and went with everyone else. It was a good show and neat to see
them while deployed to a place like Kosovo. Here are a couple pictures.
Another picture of the Tonic concert. Tomorrow was the
day we were to convoy to Camp Able Sentry and get home!
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