Marines, Sailors Leave Camp Lejeune In Largest Deployment Since Gulf War

Seven ships waited in the Atlantic to the east of the Marinebase as headquarters staff members boarded helicopters to fly inwaves to their floating base.

Combat troops and their equipmenthave been loaded aboard the ships since Friday.

"It's the fastest deployment I've ever seen in my 29 years inthe Navy," said Rear Adm. Michael Nowakowski, commander of theseven vessels in Amphibious Group Two from the naval base inNorfolk, Va.

The admiral said his ships were refueled New Year's Day inpreparation for deployment. Marines received their deployment orderFriday and were loaded within five days.

As officers and ranking sergeants boarded helicopters on thebanks of the New River in front of their brick headquartersbuilding, family members hugged the departing Marines.

Brig. Gen. Richard Natonski, commander of the troops in the 2ndMarine Expeditionary Brigade, said the deployment was differentfrom routine trips away from the base because there was no setreturn date.

"We don't know how long we'll be gone," Natonski said. "Ijust cleaned out my office."

Perched among duffel bags and combat packs waiting to be loadedaboard the choppers were boxes with copying machines and computersneeded for headquarters operations.

Earlier movements of troopsinvolved infantry armed with M-16 rifles, rocket launchers andmachine guns.

Once in the region, the North Carolina-based Marines will join aforce of 7,000 more Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Natonskisaid the troops would wait for orders on whether they would operatefrom the amphibious ships or from a ground base; they are capableof either.

The general said his Marines - augmented by tanks, light armored vehicles, artillery, attack jets and troop carrying helicopters - would be "a force to contend with."

Gunnery Sgt. Rick Lemke sat on the grass playing with daughters Savannah, 2-1/2, and Samantha, 6, while his wife nursed their 6-month-old baby in the family car.

"She's in good hands," Lemke said. "We've got a lot of neighbors and friends. They'll be in good hands."

The force included reservists, such as members of a tank unit from Kentucky. One Marine was working in a discount store a week ago and now was aboard a ship, Natonski said.

The wife of a reserve liaison officer said her husband just returned at Christmas from seven months in Kuwait only to be told to stay packed and get ready to leave again.

"You have to take it in stride," said Donna Terashima, 33, of Raleigh.

Her husband, Maj. Eric Terashima, was a heavy equipmentmarketing executive until he was activated last February.

As she took a photo of her husband boarding a helicopter andheld her 14-month-old son Kyle, she said she was concerned aboutthe deployment.

Of course, I'm upset," she said. "This one, I'm thinkingthere's more possibility of a war. He's going because of Iraq, andthat concerns me."