4 Douglas County soldiers return from Iraq

The same day Spc. Justin Fox headed to Mississippi to prepare for a 10-month deployment to Iraq, his first child was born.

It wasn’t until Fox completed the two-month mobilization in the South last August that he was able to see and hold baby Robbie for the first time. Fox got to visit his son and girlfriend in Winchester for four days before he and three other Douglas County soldiers left for Balad, Iraq.

Fox, Staff Sgt. Michael Love-Faust, Spc. Alex Koester and Cpl. Denny Cortez — all from the National Guard’s Charlie Company in Roseburg — volunteered to join the Guard’s 234 Engineer Company, based at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, for a tour in Iraq.

The company returned to U.S. soil April 23 and formally demobilized May 2.

All four of the local men had different reasons why they volunteered to go overseas, but the common thread was a sense of loyalty and dedication to the men and women they serve alongside.

“It was my turn and they were looking for volunteers,” said Fox, 20. “And I can never really turn someone down when they ask for help.”

Fox is the most recent in a family tradition of soldiers serving in overseas conflicts. He had relatives in World War II and the Vietnam, Korean and Gulf wars. For Koester and Love-Faust, the trip was a chance to put their training to the test.

“I’ve been in nine and a half years and this is the first time I was able to go overseas,” said Love-Faust, 26. “It’s like going to college and getting a bachelor’s degree in something and not using it.”

While overseas, the soldiers were responsible for providing security for convoys traveling from Balad to various forward operating bases that were anywhere from 60 to a couple of hundred miles away, Love-Faust said. The missions could last anywhere from several hours to a couple of days.

Love-Faust served as commander of the convoy’s lead vehicle and Koester, 22, was the gunner in his vehicle. Fox and Cortez, 25, were together on another team. During their missions overseas, all four men encountered small-arms fire from time to time, Love-Faust said.

“You hear from trainers that it’s barren land and there’s nothing there, that you’ll get hit every time you go out,” Fox said. “But that’s not how it is. You can go a month or two without seeing anything then go two or three days and get hit every time.”

While out on missions, the soldiers had to be ready for any situation, whether it was a vehicle breaking down or enemy fire. Fox drove a big gun truck that carried everything from spare tires and tools to stretchers and medical equipment.

“We carried enough stuff that you could probably supply World War III, but that’s how it had to be,” Fox said. “You never knew what could happen so you had to be prepared for everything.”

When they weren’t out on missions, Koester said he tried to catch up on sleep, eat, watch movies, work out at the gym and simply relax before the next mission. Fox spent most of his spare time in the motor pool working on his truck, and Love-Faust said his extra responsibilities meant he spent his spare time writing reports and filling out paperwork.

Once the company returned and Love-Faust was no longer burdened with administrative work, he hit the water with his wife, Tina. The pair went fishing at several local spots and still drop a line when they get a chance.

“It was great,” he said. “There was nothing bad about coming back.”

Now Love-Faust works at the Roseburg armory and helps with recruiting.

When Fox returned, he married his girlfriend, Misty. Lifting the heavy equipment in and out of his truck day in and day out took a toll on Fox’s back. A CT scan done in Iraq showed that Fox had three bulging disks in his back, and now he is visiting various doctors to try and get the problem fixed so he can pick up his son without experiencing pain.

Meanwhile, Fox said he is helping his grandfather bale hay and is trying to find a job so he can support his family.

Koester spent time visiting his family and relaxing when he returned. He recently moved from his hometown of Elkton to Eugene to look for a job and start fresh. Koester said he wants to find a job where he can work outdoors and said he is also interested in going to military school.

Koester will stay with Charlie Company and plans to commute to Roseburg for his one-weekend-a-month training with the Guard, he said.

Cortez, who lives in Sutherlin, has spent the last couple of months traveling, visiting family and skiing, Love-Faust said. Cortez is considering going back to school to finish his degree and become a physical trainer, Love-Faust said. Cortez was unavailable for comment.

While the four local soldiers were overseas, the rest of Charlie Company has been preparing for its own deployment to Iraq next year. Love-Faust said he will likely stay in Roseburg and run the armory while the rest of the company is overseas. Koester said he enjoyed his time overseas and is open to returning to Iraq. Fox said there is no way he would willingly miss the deployment.

“As long as the Army doesn’t discharge me medically, they’ll have to sneak off without me or tie me down,” Fox said. “I want to go with my home unit.”

Initially, Fox said, he wanted a break from the overseas work, but soon realized he and the other guys who recently returned are the most qualified for the upcoming deployment. Other Charlie Company soldiers who have gone overseas have primarily conducted foot patrols and base security, but the 2009 trip will be similar to what Fox and the others did overseas, he said.

“It’s kinda hard to explain because it’s not like our whole lives are about killing and leaving our families behind. That’s not the half of it,” Fox said. “If we’re called upon and somebody needs help, we’re gonna do it. It’s in our nature. The infantry is there for everything.”

And Fox said he plans to be ready to do anything for his boys from Charlie Company.

“I went into Charlie Company of the One to the One-eight-six (1st Battalion, 186th Infantry) and didn’t know anybody,” Fox said. “... And then this deployment came along and I got close to three of them. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@nrtoday.com.