Families of 94th Go To Washington

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At the end of a long day of meetings at the Pentagon, the family members of the 94th military police company walked down the hall of a Senate Office building.

They had come to meet with Maine’s Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.

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These family members had traveled hundreds of miles to speak with Pentagon officials and lawmakers, and the families appreciated these Senators’ efforts.

Still these wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters want to know when their loved ones are coming home.

Angela delapinski is from Jaffrey.

Her brother Joshua is in Iraq with the 94th.

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We're here to try to support him and his troops, and the fact that they are very tired and they've been there a long time they are proud to do their job , but the fact of the matter is, and they need to come home and there's no certain plans of them to come home.

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Senator Susan Collins says she has brought up the situation of the 94th with top military officials.

But they couldn’t tell her when the soldiers will be coming home.

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I am convinced that there is a real issue of equity here. This unit has been in Iraq for 14 months. The Pentagon's policy is 12 months in Iraq. We're all very proud of the men and women who are serving in Iraq, but this unit has done its part. and we're going to be following up on meetings that were held at the Pentagon today and our focus is on the answer to a very simple question and that is, when is the 94th coming home?

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The 94th was first deployed to Bosnia from June 2000 to March 2001.

The call came again, the second time in less than four years, in December 2002.

After being called up, the unit actually shipped out to Iraq in April 2003 and has had its deployment extended twice.

Jaffrey resident Steven delapinski is Joshua’s father.

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Its very frustrating and very worrying because I know that his morale is down the equipment they are using is old and worn out and I fear for his safety.

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The families spent some time speaking with Lieutenant General James Helmly, the chief of the Army Reserve.

Despite repeated phone calls, the Pentagon did not comment on the record, but families members said officers treated them well and did listen.

Richard McDonald travelled from Franklin to Washington to hope to learn when his son would come home.

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We didn't get the answers that we were looking for but we posed the questions to General Helmly and he seemed very sincere individual that he was going to, on our behalf, y'know, get us the answer to the question, when are they coming home.

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The pentagon suggested that the 94th might come home as soon as the end of July.

But everyone involved in the meetings insisted Pentagon officials made no promises.

Senator Olympia Snowe says, the Army needs to do more than just issue orders to bring the 94th home.

It needs to prepare.

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It is important to identify a unit to replace them as well, in the meantime to make sure ther are no further vacuums for the future in light of the June 39th transfer and their extended for any period of time, so we need to extend a period of certainty. but also in the meantime to make sure there's a unit been identified to replace them

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The problems of the 94th, sadly, are not unique.

While they are one of the longest serving units in Iraq, thousands of other American soldiers have already learned, they'll be staying longer.

Senator Susan Collins says, the Pentagon can learn from the families of the 94th, that the U.S. military may have the wrong mix of units on active versus reserve or guard duty.

But for others, there's the lingering question of whether the U.S. has an exit plan to get the military, and not just the 94th, out of Iraq.

For NHPR News, I'm Priscilla Huff