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Individual Augmentee Sailors Returns to Naval Station Everett

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070802-14
Release Date: 8/2/2007 2:31:00 PM

By Information Systems Technician Sabrina Wade-Brent, Fleet Public Affairs Center Det. Northwest

EVERETT, Wash. (NNS) -- Four individual augmentee (IA) Sailors from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) returned to Naval Station Everett July 24 after a year-long deployment in support of the Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) unit in Baghdad.

While on deployment, these Sailors helped Army troops detect ram launches, warned troops, intercepted and destroyed ram threats in flight, responded to the ram launches, and collected data to enable the U.S. commander shape the battlefield and protect troops.

Fire Controlman 3rd Class Mark Delgadillo was one of the four Sailors who volunteered to deploy as an IA.

“It took awhile getting use to, but 'Boots on the Ground' became normal to me,” said Delgadillo. “This was my first deployment and overall the experience was excellent and the food was surprisingly good.”

Master Chief Information Systems Technician Russell Breisch, Lincoln Beach Department head, said if you are called to deploy, you better be ready.

“There are different reasons that Sailors go IA,” said Breisch. “Career advancement and saving as much money as they can are only a couple of reasons.”

Other Sailors couldn’t wait to get back for some well-deserved leave time to hang out with family members and friends.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Angelica Preciado said the first thing she did when she came back was spend quality time with her goddaughter.

“This experience was something different than being on a ship,” said Preciado. "Working with different military services other than Navy was different in an equipment sense. It was exciting to see the weapons system that I have worked on for three years being used in a different aspect out there.”

While deployed, Sailors also took the time out to volunteer in humanitarian assistance missions. They volunteered one day out of the week to help the Iraqi citizens who brought their children to the base clinic for check ups and other medical situations. The Sailors also assisted in a new school opening in Baghdad by handing out school supplies that were shipped overseas.

More than 10,000 Sailors have volunteered or have been selected to deploy as IAs to various commands around the world. The Navy currently has thousands of Sailors on the ground in combat zones, contributing to the global war on terrorism.