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24 Marines, sailors return to Okla. from Iraq

TULSA, Okla. — Twenty-four Marines and sailors have returned to Oklahoma after a seven-month deployment in Iraq.

The two dozen military personnel attached to the Anti-Tank Training Company, Headquarters Battalion, 4th Marine Division, arrived at Tulsa International Airport on Friday night.

The Broken Arrow-based unit had been activated last September and after pre-deployment training, arrived in Iraq in mid-January.

As the Marines and sailors greeted family members and friends, even strangers passing through the airport offered encouragement.

“Hey, thanks, buddy,” one person shouted.

Marine Lance Cpl. Tim Curtis said the military members were “pretty pumped up” about returning to Oklahoma.

“I’m just happy to be home,” the 22-year-old Curtis said.

His mother, Kay Curtis of Guthrie, expressed joy and relief that her son had made it home safely. She said he was determined to serve in the military.

“It was something God had put in him,” she said. “It was something he needed to do.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Cardona of Maysville greeted his 22-year-old twin brother, Aaron Cardona, who was among those returning from duty. The brothers said they had a long-distance powerlifting competition going during Aaron’s deployment. Smiling, Aaron noted that he beat his brother.

While in Iraq, the Marines used vehicles armed with what is known in military parlance as TOW weapons systems and machine guns. TOW stands for Tube-Launched Optically Tracked Wire-Guided Anti-Armor Missile.

Their job was to help train Iraqi security forces and conduct stability and security operations in and around cities in Anbar province.