Approximately 150 soldiers assigned to the 66^th Military Police Company will be re-united with family and friends during a redeployment ceremony at approximately 8 p.m. at Soldiers Field House on JBLM Lewis Main Thursday.

The company deployed in July 2009 to Baqubah, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this deployment they worked throughout Diyala Province to assist, train and mentor Iraqi Security Forces. The unit developed the War Eagle Academy on Forward Operating Base Warhorse to better train Iraqi Security Forces, and implemented a train-the-trainer focus throughout all forms of training; the desired end-state being a competent Iraqi force with the ability to train and develop itself.

A public-television documentary, "In Their Boots," which begins airing at 12:30 a.m. Friday on KCTS, will feature the story of one Tacoma woman.

The Seattle Times has more on the series here. 

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - About 100 soldiers assigned to the 22^nd Military Police Battalion (Criminal Investigation Division) will be reunited with friends and families at a "welcome home" ceremony currently scheduled for 11:30 p.m. Saturday at Soldiers Field House on JBLM Main.

The 22^nd Military Police Battalion (CID) deployed to Iraq in July 2009, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For this deployment, the battalion was composed of a unique mix of individual agents (Soldiers) from twelve different installations Army-wide, plus multi-component units from four installations. All these consolidated together on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in June 2009 to integrate and train in preparation for the unit's year-long mission. 

The Headquarters and Headquarter Detachment, 22^nd Military Police Detachment (CID), the only active component unit from JBLM, was headquartered at Camp Victory, Baghdad, with forward elements located at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait and Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The 315^th Military Police Detachment (CID), a Reserve Component unit headquartered on JBLM, also provided investigative support.

The primary mission of the United States Army Criminal Investigations Command (USACIDC) is to investigate reports of felony crimes committed with Department of Defense interest, felony crimes committed by and / or against Soldiers and / or civilians in the Army's charge, and all accidental or unexplained deaths.

Lots and lots of photos and news.  See them here:

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The Washington Times wrote a piece on deployment's impact on teens. Maj. Keith Lemmon, a physician who specializes in pediatrics and adolescent medicine at Madigan, was interviewed for the piece. Read the full story here.

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The 571st Military Police Company will conduct a deployment ceremony Monday, July 27, at 10 a.m. at the 504th Military Police Battalion battalion-area. on Fort Lewis.

The 571st Military Police Company will deploy to Iraq to conduct personnel security and escort operations. The unit is expected to be gone for a year.

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When Chaplain (Capt.) Scott Koeman deployed to Iraq in 2003, family, friends, and church members embraced his wife, Benita, and their children.  However, his second deployment was another story.

"People who were there for me the first time didn't come through with their offers of help the second time around," said Benita Koeman, 40, who resides in DuPont, with her husband and three children. "I felt abandoned and isolated."

For months, Koeman struggled with her feelings about the lack of support she received during her husband's deployment.  In response, about a year ago, she launched operationwearehere.com, a Web site that includes devotionals, prayers, Facebook groups that spouses can join to talk to other wives who are dealing with deployments, checklists, and links to other Web sites.

"I wanted to give young military wives a place to go where they could talk to other wives going through the same thing," she said. "I wanted to give them information that I didn't have when my husband deployed."  

Koeman also plans to use the site to inform churches and community members about how to best assist families during military deployments, she said.

"I want to make sure people know that there is still a war on.  People need to understand that families still need to be taken of, and they still need their support," she said.  

In some cases, people don't know how to help, and families don't know how to ask for assistance, she said.  

"It's very awkward to have to ask someone at your church to help you," said Koeman. "I'm sending the link to my Web site to churches so that members can read about the personal experiences of the families of deployed soldiers.  If they understand what we go through, they might get ideas about how they can help." 

Kathy Killgore of Steilacoom finds the Web site invaluable.  There's something for everyone, said Killgore, who is no stranger to deployments. Her husband, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Thomas Killgore, has been deployed or gone about half of his 21-year career. 

"The Web site is a one-stop source for almost everything we deal with when our loved ones are deployed," she said. "It contains information for the spouses, the children, the extended family, and churches.  I've been through many deployments, and there are things on the site that I didn't know about.  I think it's a great, all-inclusive resource."

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How do you prepare for a deployment?

So many things to do; so many things to think about.

Army Community Service has tools and tips to help better prepare you for a deployment. They invite you to come to the Tuesday predeployment workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Family Resource Center. To register for the workshop, call ACS at 967-8430 or e-mail Pamela.j.allen@us.army.mil.

Child care is available at Clarkmoor Hourly Care. Call 966-2490 to reserve a slot, as soon as possible. Children must be registered with CYSS.