Troop homecoming delayed until Tuesday

Published 6:33 pm Thursday, March 4, 2010

Charlie Troop’s arrival in Dalton has been pushed back to Tuesday at around 2 p.m. because state officials have decided the soldiers need to go through two extra days of demobilization.

The state’s National Guard is actually known as the Georgia Army National Guard and falls under U.S. Army jurisdiction. But there is also a state-level element, said Rick Brown of Operation Uplift, a troop support organization.

“I would call it federal vs. state processes for demobilization,” said Brown, who spent all day Wednesday lining up what was expected to be Sunday’s arrival of the unit from Fort Stewart, where the soldiers landed last weekend from a year-long tour in Afghanistan. “The state decided they needed to keep them two extra days,” Brown said.

The troop’s commanding officer, Capt. Jason Lewis, and top non-commissioned officer, Sgt. 1st Class Joel L. King, said in e-mails they were first advised that they would be leaving the southeast Georgia military base near Savannah Sunday morning. After a meeting late Thursday afternoon, however, they learned their new departure time would be 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

“They’re coming back as the whole 108th (Cavalry) instead of being staggered as first planned,” said Brown. “The important thing for the troops is to keep rolling with the changes with a positive outlook, because the most important fact and reason for our celebration is not changing.”

But the weather could be. Tuesday’s forecast is for rain, and if wet weather prevails the welcoming ceremony after the cavalcade through town will take place inside the Armory on Crawford Street across from Harmon Field instead of inside the stadium itself.

Brown said the troop members still plan to change buses at Kmart on Walnut Avenue, then proceed to Thornton Avenue and onto Crawford Street. He said flags will not be placed on the courthouse lawn if rain moves in, and that decision will be made as the big day approaches.