Colonel recalls service as soldiers depart
CONNELLSVILLE – It comes as no surprise to Col. Gregory Ritch that another National Guard unit is gearing up for overseas deployment. Across the country, small towns are bidding farewell to their civilian soldiers who will replace others serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On Friday, 50 members of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, 110th Infantry Headquarters unit based in Mount Pleasant departed for training in Mississippi. Soon, many more will follow their path.
Last month, members of Company B, 1st Battalion, 103rd Armor unit based in Connellsville arrived in Iraq to begin a year-long tour of duty.
Ritch, of Connellsville, served a year in Baghdad as a Deputy Brigade Commander and as the Joint Operations Officer Chemical Team Leader with the 455th Chemical Brigade and knows first hand that training is imperative, but soldiers cannot be prepared for the initial sights and sounds of battle.
“The first time you hear an explosion; the first time you hear small arms fire, you realize this is no longer a peace-time situation or annual training you have undergone,” he said. “This is real world.”
As the soldiers move through the country, said Ritch, they will encounter devastation from the 1991 Gulf War and a population whose culture, customs and religion is vastly different from the U.S. Ritch said that soldiers do receive information concerning the different practices in the region.
“For instance, a female soldier does not expose her arms,” he said. “We try not to display those tendencies that set us apart from the rest of the world.”
While serving in Iraq, Ritch said local citizens worked with the U.S.-led coalition and every effort was made to accommodate their religious customs.
“When it was time for their prayers, we did not interfere,” he said. “For the detainees, we provided their religious materials in addition to food and medical treatment.
“We want the country to be an established democracy, but we do not want to disrupt their culture.”
Ritch said that positive strides have been accomplished since the war started and his departure nearly a year ago, but danger still exists for those members of the Armed Forces still in Iraq and those being deployed.
“When I arrived, we had just completed two of the swiftest wars in U.S. history – the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq,” he said. “The terrorists fled and became disorganized.
“Since that time, they have had the opportunity to reorganize and as the time for elections in Iraq approach, it will become an even more dangerous place.”
The reason, said Ritch, is that while the majority of the country’s population favors a democratic way of life, some continue to resist the change.
“There is a tribal mentality there,” he said. “There are countries outside Iraq who do not want a democracy established, because it would not be in their best interest.”
Ritch said he appreciates the volunteers willing to put their lives in harm’s way to protect those at home.
“Those young kids have a special place in my heart,” he said. “They will work 18, 24 or maybe 30 hours before they are able to rest.
“They are doing it because they believe in the mission.”
Ritch said that the Connellsville and Mount Pleasant guard units along with other soldiers from across the nation and around the world will make a difference during their tour of duty.
“Schools are up and running; hospitals are providing better service than was possible under Saddam Hussein’s regime,” he said. “The advances that are made there will not only improve that country, but will be beneficial to us now and in the future.”