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180 Sill soldiers welcomed back

LAWTON, Okla. — Efrem Dennis could hardly contain his glee or his tears when he saw his brother, Sgt. Therman Dennis, get off a bus after a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq.

“I got up at 4 o’clock this morning to make the trip from Oklahoma City,” Efrem Dennis said as he stood on a chair, waving a poster in one hand and flags in the other.

Therman Dennis was one of 180 members of the 15th Transportation Company and the 168th Brigade Support Battalion to return to Fort Sill on Saturday. His wife, Leeann, and their 10-year-old son, A.C. also welcomed Sgt. Dennis home.

Lt. Col. Gregory P. DeWitt, deputy commanding officer of the 214th Fires Brigade, said the 168th was charged with providing physical support to troops in Baghdad. DeWitt said all of the brigade’s members returned safely.

“True to their motto, the ‘Make It Happen’ Battalion conducted more than 11,000 maintenance jobs, conducted over 3,600 deliberate combat logistical patrols and drove more than 2.2 million miles in support of 70,000 coalition forces, Iraqi army soldiers and policemen in one of Iraq’s most dangerous areas, Baghdad,” DeWitt said. “They accomplished all this with no serious accidents, injuries or casualties.”

Brigade members Andra Boyd and Lucinda Lewis, husband and wife, deployed together in July 2007, leaving the care of their 14-month-old son, Dakari, in the hands of their families.

The couple returned for a visit in June but missed their son’s first steps and first words.

“We all have been taking care of him,” said relative Lasandra Begay, who drove 700 miles to Lawton from Pinedale, N.M., to greet the pair.

Lt. Col. James H. Rikard, deputy commanding officer of the 75th Fires Brigade, said the unit completed 134 missions and 729 deliberate combat logistics patrols.

“Many of these missions played a key role in the increased security station in Baghdad, including the delivery of over 5,000 barriers and the distribution of supplies to joint security stations and combat outposts throughout the Baghdad area,” Rikard said.

One soldier received a Bronze Star for valor and two received the Army Commendation Medal.

“You have done a remarkable job of supporting our nation in the war on terror,” Rikard said.