Security Forces members return home Published Jan. 17, 2008 By Tech. Sgt. Doug Hays 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind., -- -- Four members of the 434th Security Forces Squadron returned to Grissom Jan. 13 following a six-month deployment to Kirkuk AB, Iraq to throngs of friends, family members and coworkers. Tech. Sgt. Robert DeLee, Staff Sgt. Danny Perez, and Senior Airmen Luke Whitman and Christopher Kowalski were activated and deployed in June and assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Kirkuk. The team provided air base ground defense for coalition forces assigned to the base. "We worked a lot of long days," said Sergeant DeLee, the ranking member of the group. The team patrolled the base, manned observation towers as part of their duties and faced rocket attacks by insurgents. To stay in touch with loved ones back in the States, they were able to use email and the internet on occasion and video conferencing. "The video calls were especially helpful," Sergeant DeLee, a Plymouth Indiana resident said, "Especially having young children, it really helped them to be able to see me." This group is not the first from Grissom to deploy to Kirkuk. Another group of Airmen returned to Grissom last year having served there. The most recent returnees earned reconstitution time and leave during their deployment, and officials expect them back on duty afterwards.
