Signs of War on the Home Front

Their destination is a secret. But as a company of Special Forces troops from the California National Guard prepared Wednesday night to leave for their overseas mission, there were telltale signs about where they might be headed.

Officers removed rank insignia from their camouflage fatigues, something normally done in a combat zone or other inhospitable place. Away from prying eyes, soldiers packed their gear at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Los Alamitos in a stark, gray building similar to other spartan buildings from which U.S. soldiers have marched off to war in the past.

There was none of the bantering that GIs are known for, only serious, almost mechanical movements from men who worked without speaking.

Then there was Master Sgt. Dan’s comment as he looked at his 4-week-old daughter, Callie: “I’ve never been under fire before.”

Also on his mind was the safety of the rest of his A Team--normally 12 soldiers--where he is the senior noncommissioned officer. “I’m thinking over and over again: Have I learned everything and trained hard enough to keep everybody safe and accomplish the mission?” Dan said. Guard officials would allow only his first name to be used for security reasons.

According to Guard officials, 80 men from Alpha Company, 19th Special Forces Group will “depart in a few days.” Capt. Denise Varner, a California National Guard spokeswoman in Sacramento, would only say that the U.S. Army activated the men in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan.

Two soldiers from the 19th Special Forces Group, made up of soldiers from National Guard units across the country, were killed in action in Afghanistan in April: Sgt. Gene Arden Vance Jr. of the West Virginia National Guard and Sgt. First Class Daniel A. Romero of the Colorado Guard.

Dan’s wife, Audrey, said their baby’s birth a month ago has had an unintended effect. “I’m grateful to have Callie. She represents a part of Dan,” she said. “But Dan’s leaving has overshadowed everything. I’ve got my baby, but my husband won’t be around in a few days.”

Dan, 38, a San Diego firefighter and paramedic, is also one of his team’s medics. Working out of a fire station in San Diego’s tough Logan Heights community, he has seen his share of gunshot and stabbing victims.

“I have absolute confidence in my medical skills. Working as a paramedic has prepared me for whatever comes along,” he said.

Although Audrey said Dan “pretty much dropped this on me a few days ago,” the couple said they had known since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that he would probably be activated for what the military calls a real-world mission.

On Wednesday, they prepared to spend possibly their last night together before Dan deploys. Audrey, 33, a banker on maternity leave, drove up from San Diego and is returning home today.

While her husband is away, she will depend on a family support network from the California Guard for backup, emotional and financial, if needed. The couple has been married for 10 years.

When Guard soldiers go on active duty, almost all of them take huge pay cuts from their civilian jobs. Dan is no exception, but he is luckier than most: The San Diego Fire Department has agreed to make up the difference between his Army pay and his base salary. But he will still take a financial hit, because the department will not cover the overtime he would normally work.

Guard officials say soldiers on active duty see their families’ household income cut by as much as 65%. It’s a fact that causes many officials to worry whether a soldier can accomplish his mission overseas if he’s concerned about his wife being able to make the mortgage payment.

“I’m going back to work when Dan leaves,” Audrey said, citing the reduction in their income. “I don’t have much choice.”

In an ironic twist, Dan, a 21-year veteran, received notification less than two weeks ago advising him that he was eligible for retirement. The letter arrived after his company had been activated.

“I can’t retire as long as I’ve got orders [for overseas],” he said. “Besides, this is what I’ve trained for for 20 years. I’m finally getting a chance to do the job.

“The Special Forces motto is de oppresso liber, free the oppressed. When I get over there I will do my best to help those folks understand what freedom means.”

Guard officials refused to say how long the soldiers will be overseas, but their time on active duty could run as long as two years. But the troopers know the date when they can expect to return home.

“I’ll be back soon. I hope [the Army] will honor their promise to bring us back by a certain date,” Dan said. “But I guess that also depends on what happens while we’re over there.”