639th ignites powerful welcome

The 639th Quartermaster Company of the Montana Army National Guard swooped into the Flathead Valley around noon Thursday, igniting a powerful welcome.

With more than 100 soldiers on board, the jet taxied beneath an arch of water sprayed from two waiting fire trucks at the Edwards Jet Center. A flag-waving, emotional crowd pressed against the yellow tape barrier to the tarmac.

Sue Cusker, wife of acting 639th commander 1st. Lt. Chris Cusker, had arrived more than an hour early to nab her front row waving spot with son Cody, 6, and Tele, the family's chocolate lab.

His parents, Bruce and Barbara Cusker, waited with her. Bruce Cusker smiled as he anticipated his son's return.

"It's a great feeling of relief and satisfaction that the soldiers did their job," he said. "I'm very proud of him."

Sue Cusker also smiled broadly, despite the tugging of Tele on one side and Cody on the other. Cusker, who works at the Montana Department of Transportation, was relieved to see the mission at its end.

"It's been long, extremely long," she said.

Within minutes of landing, the first soldier appeared on the tarmac. Crowd discipline crumbled with the first few sightings of the desert camo and battle dress uniforms.

Families dashed through the plastic yellow barriers erected to comply with FAA regulations. The waiting arms of loved ones wiped clean the list of stern warnings from the organizing committee.

Soon, the tarmac was a sea of civilians clinging to men and women soldiers. Because the unit arrived more than an hour and half early, a few returning guardsmen arrived at the jet center before their families.

Families and their soldiers mingled for about an hour at the jet center to keep the announced 2 p.m. parade time down Main Street.

Standing in the sunshine, Spc. Richard Brant of Libby and Spc. Amber Brester of Laurel shared affection glances. The two fell in love during their deployment to Iraq.

Although they plan to marry, Brant said he and Amber must discuss it with her father before they become engaged. They plan to live in Libby where Brant works at Rosauers and Brester will go to college.

Both considered their experience in Iraq a positive experience beyond finding each other.

"There are a lot of great things going on over there," Brant said. "You don't see all the people who think it's a good thing that we're over there."

Although the unit spent election day on high alert, Brant called it "very, very special."

Sgt. 1st Class Mark Roedel of Kalispell waited with his wife Heidi and daughters Jessica and Jenae. Roedel, who works as a land surveyor as a civilian, said it was tough to say goodbye to some of the Iraqi people.

He said Ali and Kaussen, two Iraqi nationals, put on a dinner every Friday night for soldiers. Roedel worked in Scania which he described as a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.

He wasn't as impressed with scenery as he was with the Iraqi people. Roedel said a friend of his captured it pretty well.

"Iraq has as many uglies as Montana has pretties," he said with a laugh.

Around 1 p.m., fire trucks arrived at the airport gate to escort the massive convoy. Soldiers loaded into cars with their families while those without local families loaded on to vintage jeeps or a 1942 Dodge fire truck.

Along Main Street, a large crowd waited with all manner of flags and banners. Just down from Pizza Hut, Jennifer Dana held one end of a large sign created by the students at Fair-Mont-Egan School.

Matt Gates, husband of third grade teacher Kelly Gates, was among the returning guard members.

Dana, an after-school child-care provider, said Fair-Mont-Egan had an early out so the students could take part in the 639th welcome home.

At about 1:50 p.m. the procession reached Main amid a cacophony of sirens and horn honking. A CH47 Chinook flew low over the parade route as parade organizer John Gisselbrecht videotaped the procession from above.

"It looked like ants coming from everywhere to the parade route," he said with a laugh.

For about 20 minutes, people waved flags and whooped to soldiers hanging out car windows or loaded in jeeps or on truck beds.

Soldiers, both men and women, dabbed at their eyes as people such as Kim Audet shouted thank you to each passing car.

"I came because I want the troops to know how much we love and support them for keeping us safe," Audet said.

As the convoy proceeded to the fairgrounds, a record traffic snarl backed cars up between Main and Reserve Streets along West Idaho. A huge flag flying from a crane and a Civil Air Patrol color guard greeted the 639th at the fairgrounds.

Flathead High School's band played as friends and families gathered in the Expo building for giant sandwiches, cookies and more from Subway and Arby's restaurants.

In a short ceremony, Kalispell Mayor Pam Kennedy welcomed the 639th Quartermaster Company home.

"We will never ever be able to tell you how very proud we are of you," Kennedy said.

She also thanked the families for their sacrifices. Denise Smith read a letter from Sen. Conrad Burns that credited soldiers like these of the Montana National Guard for helping free Iraq.

"It is your dedication that made their freedom possible," Burns wrote.

Col. James Hogan, commander of the 95th Troop Command, told the soldier that they now held a place in the history of Montana National Guard as well as the nation.

"By all accounts, the 639th did their job very well, even achieving national recognition," Hogan said.

1st Lt. Cusker, acting commander of the 639th, then took the floor.

"I want to thank Kalispell for the most amazing welcome home we've ever seen," he said.

Cusker reviewed the achievements of the 639th including handling 2.2 million gallons of fuel, purifying 13.2 million gallons of water, issuing 173,946 supply items and maintaining vehicles at "97 percent green" in the 120 degree heat of the Middle East.

The acting commander said those statistics were just the tip of the iceberg of what the unit accomplished in Iraq and Kuwait.

Afterward, Cusker said the Guard unit earned high praise from the units they supplied.

"They were really the go-to company," he said.

Although the ceremonies in the Expo Center ended, the children of Cayuse Prairie School had a final surprise for the 639th. They formed a final cheering gauntlet as each soldier left for home.

A member of the delegation from the Helena headquarters of the Montana National Guard, Sgt. 1st Class Tom Steber said he wished he had come to town sooner to photograph all ribbons and signs at businesses welcoming the 639th.

He said he spent much of the day with tears running down his face.

"I'm just blown away by this town," Steber said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com