El Toro Peacekeepers Back on Home Front

For the four months that Tina Nolan’s husband was away on his tour of duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina, life “was hell,” she said, as she thought about every little mishap that had befallen her, including the time the car broke down.

But when she saw Philip Nolan’s familiar grin Wednesday, all those worries disappeared as the couple embraced. They didn’t even notice the colorful welcome-home balloons that had tangled around them.

“I love you,” was the first thing the 37-year-old Mission Viejo woman said as her husband crushed her in a bearhug. “I’m glad you’re home.”

All around them in an airplane hangar, there were similar emotional reunions as about 70 Marines from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing returned after a four-month deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the U.S.-led contingent assigned to NATO’s peacekeeping mission.

The returning Marines belonged to the 1st Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron, which monitored territory from the air by flying remote-control planes equipped with cameras. Many were from units based at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton and Yuma.

The group was the second U.S. military unit returning from Bosnia this week. On Tuesday, 15 U.S. Army reservists--linguists specializing in Slavic languages on an eight-month tour of duty--reunited with their families at a homecoming ceremony at the Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center.

The returning Marines said Wednesday that their tour was positive and educational. They were rarely in danger because they were never in combat. And they had the opportunity to view a land and people ravaged by a 3 1/2-year war that killed or wounded hundreds of thousands. For many of the Marines, the experience prompted much introspection.

“Seeing all the devastation from the blown-up houses made me realize that no matter how bad we think we have it in America, it’s worse somewhere else in the world,” the 38-year-old Philip Nolan said.

Cpl. Heath Douglas said he believes he is a much more mature 21-year-old now than when he left.

“I’ve changed. I’ve seen the world through the eyes of other people and realized that most things are not going to happen the way they should be,” he said. “In spite of the election process [held in the region last month], there are still conflicts, fighting, and until they stop, there won’t be peace.”

While Bosnia was a period of reflection for some, Wednesday’s homecoming was a day of hugs, kisses, laughter and reacquaintance for most.

As 21-year-old Cpl. Martin German hugged his wife, Tonya, he couldn’t stop asking questions: How is she feeling? How is their 2-year-old daughter, Taylor? How is the baby?

In July, Tonya German, also 21, gave birth to a girl, Madison, barely a month after her husband reported for duty.

Sgt. Robert Reed, 28, can’t believe how much his two children, 7-year-old Robbie and 3-year-old Melissa, have grown in his absence.

“I miss waking up on Saturday morning and making my family pancake breakfast,” Reed said of his from-scratch specialty.

Robbie wanted to know: “You promised pancakes, Daddy. Is tomorrow Saturday?”

No, Reed answered, but “I’ll make us breakfast tomorrow.”