443rd recognized for outstanding service

WARWICK, R.I.—They are warrior citizens, members of the Army Reserve’s 443rd Civil Affairs Batallion out of Warwick.

On Sunday, they were officially welcomed home and recognized for their tour of duty in Iraq.

For some soldiers, it was their first deployment. The unit of nearly three dozen men and women were deployed for a year, from November 2007 to November of 2008.

Their mission was to support reconstruction efforts in Iraq and to help the citizens there rebuild their country.

And all of their work was honored at the Sunday ceremony, a ceremony that not only recognized the soldiers, but their families who had to sacrifice being without their loved ones.

A time that is over for these men and women, for now, as they received symbols of gratitude for their service and reflect on the work they accomplished.