European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paces stars and stripes june after 22 Home is a state of mind with wives and girlfriends in guard unit feels closer to iraqis they see on patrol by Teri Weaver stars and stripes Abu Iraq As Andrew Waldron would say As he would sing its the final of has Sung the song by the swedish band Europe to amuse and annoy his friends on every patrol Treyve done in the farmlands on the Western Edge of As of the end of that was 425 patrols and Waldron and the soldiers with outlaw company 2nd 136th Minnesota nation Al guard Are nearing the end of a 22month from six months of training at Camp Shel by in Mississippi to an extended 15month tour in Treyve been away from Home since octo Ber they Are supposed to head Home late this the Minnesota nation Al guard has been deployed to Iraq longer than any other Mili tary unit guard or re the new York times re ported last if youre going to be Here a Long you might As Well be Here the said 1st Stewart of Minne Apo the platoons Treyve been away so Long that life in Iraq and at Camp Liberty has become the Only Rou Tine they can their normalcy is War patrolling through muck and work ing unending watching newly deployed soldiers get lost in the Chow their command ing unit has switched three times during their stint in other soldiers have come and and the outlaws Are still As their time they face a Mission just As complicated going you dont miss Home said Christopher of its just second nature to be i dont know How i could go Back to How i As a they have been Back to Minnesota Only once two weeks at Christmas in be fore deploying in March they got a fou Day since Treyve each taken their two weeks leave from All that happened months Well be fore the army extended deploy ments to 15 to think of you have to think of said Brandon of some have to think of when the platoon was called up for a year to serve in that stretch should have Given them a reprieve from this Iraq de but Many in the a group whose Home towns and memories weave to Gether outside of refused to stay its hard to sit at Home and watch everybody else come Over said Aaron Rousse of Long who served in Kosovo and has been gone from Home the past three out of four youd feel like a exile if you were sitting at Home playing playstation and somebody Over Here got he in the platoon has been they Haven lost a Mem Ber in their time in Treyve been Lucky in Friend ships As they know each other Well enough to Tell the differ ence Between Side splitting laugh Ter and nervous the kind that comes uncontrollably when being shot Treyve helped each other with problems Back Treyve become so their friends from before the War feel like but the Long time away from Home has Hurt As the younger members Haven been Able to photos by Teri and stripes members of the outlaw platoon joke with each other after finishing up a patrol last some say they Arent burned but they Are anxious about returning to their families and Homes after leaving in october you dont really miss Home said Christopher of its just second nature to be i dont know How i could go Back to How i schedule adulthood drinking legally around the drawn out deploy Treyve missed weddings and other celebrations scheduled before the 12 months in Iraq grew to some have lost girl and a handful of some have remained frustratingly these challenges Arent unique to the outlaws when compared with other army who were also extended to 15month Tours in but theres a huge differ ence Between 15 months and 22 the platoon members i can look around and know that Ive been Here longer than Al most anyone said Rousse Lange As he ate dinner at Camp Liberty massive Chow Hall last longevity has some advantage the soldiers Treyve got ten to know every family and farmhouse in the area they the locals a mix of sunni and shiites separated More by tribal loyalty than religious conviction know and have grown More willing to help coalition that closeness also can make the Job Whitson once you get Over that year you get too attached to an he when an area Sheik was killed in recent it stops being an iraqi who its your he also said its easy to lose per to Side with the residents in their patrol area without ques Travis of sits in a humvee Turret while on the Minnesota National guard has been deployed to Iraq More than any other unit guard or Reserve in the toning their youve got to Force yourself to see both sides of the he As the end the out Laws Are worried about fitting Back into what others consider Normal life weekends Liv ing at driving Normal cars on Normal Are couples have been living together through phone lines and internet connections for nearly two Rousselange and his Girlfriend Are making it through the Long de so Are Whitson and his married just they Are both nervous and excited about the upcoming its like going on a first Date with your Whitson its if somebody Waits for you two years two years and you dont go Home and marry Rousselange just shaking his head and not finishing his sen but patience Only goes so most of us said staff Matthew of but if they ask us a year from most government help Only goes so far As Twenty two months is a Long but its not Long enough to qualify for 100 percent benefits from the i when they get Home and finally Start their College the Mili tary will Only pay 80 sol Diers email Teri Weaver at  1st sky Soldier Dies on recent Afghanistan deployment by Kent Harris stars and stripes a member of the 173rd airborne Bri Gade was killed in action the first sky Soldier to die since the unit recently deployed to Jacob a 22yearold from new was identified by several Media outlets the department of defense had yet to release his identity As of 5 Central european time on Ryan Public affairs officer for the Southern european task Force said he  comment or provide information until the notice was posted on the Dods web seventeen soldiers from the brigade and a total of 18 from both based in i were killed during a previous deployment to Afghanistan in nine soldiers from the brigade died in a deployment to Iraq in All of their names Are inscribed on a Monument at Caserma Lowells Raymond and Berna Dine were informed of his death according to reports by several Media outlets in according to a re port in the Chicago Lowell had been in the country for Only two he was a great Raymond Lowell was reported As we Are very proud of he did what he wanted to Lowell was a 2003 graduate of Lincoln Way Central High school and on the schools football according to the Tri email Kent Harris at ,