Area soldiers called to serve overseas

By NICK NARIGON

For her fourth birthday, Phoenix Gryp, Victor, received a bicycle, a scooter and a Toy Story doll.

She also said goodbye to her dad, a soldier who was leaving for Afghanistan.

Dustin Gryp, Victor, a staff sergeant with the 334th Brigade Support Battalion, along with 150 of his fellow servicemen and women, bid adieu to friends and family at the U.S. Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids, Sunday Aug. 8.

The 334th was among the 2,800 members of the Iowa National Guard being called to service in Afghanistan. It is the largest call up for the Iowa National Guard since World War II.

For Gryp, 26, being sent to war is nothing new. The nine-year veteran of the National Guard also spent a year in Iraq from 2004-2005.

“I guess I am a little excited,” he said. “I will be going to a different place, but I don’t feel anything new.”

Gryp and his wife Haley have three children, Kayden, 7, Phoenix, now 4, and Cecelia, 1. Gryp said he and Haley went out to dinner Saturday night and had several family members come help Phoenix celebrate her birthday.

He joined the National Guard when he was a junior at HLV, and Gryp, who works for the National Guard full-time, said he plans to commit to the guard until retirement.

Gryp’s high school friend, Andy Johnson, Victor, signed up for the National Guard at the same time. Johnson was alongside Gryp Sunday as they prepared for another deployment.

Both soldiers will be providing convoy security while in Afghanistan.

Johnson said he learned a few things during his time in Iraq from 2003-2004 that he will use in Afghanistan. He said the language barrier with the Iraqi locals proved to be a hindrance during his time there, so Johnson has been trying to learn some of the Afghani language.

“The language barrier in Iraq was pretty big. We had to use a lot of hand gestures,” Johnson said. “It is a lot easier if you know some of the basic words.”

Several other Iowa County National Guard members were also sent off on Sunday.

Kyle Peters, 35, West Des Moines, a 1993 graduate of Iowa Valley High School, said goodbye to his parents, Edith and Bill Peters, Marengo. Kyle, a staff sergeant, has been a member of the National Guard for four years and spent the last three years working a Camp Dodge, Des Moines. A former member of the Air Force, this will be Peters’ first deployment to war.

He said he is trained to do electronic repair work, but Peters said he has no idea what kind of work he will be doing in Afghanistan.

Edith said her son who is following in his father’s footsteps. Bill served in Vietnam for one year.

“We are very proud and excited for him to have this opportunity,” Edith said.

The soldiers boarded a bus at the U.S. Cellular Center that took them to Camp Dodge. After another send off celebration Monday, Aug. 9, the troops left for Camp Shelby, Miss. From there, they will complete their training at Fort Irwin, San Bernardino County, Calif., before shipping over to Afghanistan.

Kyle Peters said the heat index at Camp Shelby was 137 degrees last week, which he said should prepare them for the climate in Afghanistan.

Also leaving from the U.S. Cellular Center Aug. 8 were two Williamsburg residents, Jacob Schlesselman and Matthew Boland.

Both 2002 graduates of Williamsburg High School, the friends are also of the rank private first class and are being deployed for the first time.

Boland, who works at the John Deere dealership in Sigourney, said they will be drivers while in Afghanistan, while also doing some mechanic work.

Schlesselman, 23, said he is neither excited nor worried about his deployment.

“It’s just one of those things,” he said.

Tagged as: military, Soldiers