1174th TTB returns from Kuwait.

Nearly 60 Soldiers were welcomed home Feb. 1, 2005 at Anderson Field House, Fort Eustis, Va., after serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for one year.

The Soldiers are part of the 1174th Transportation Terminal Battalion, a reserve unit from Fort Totten, N.Y. The 1174th is a subsidiary unit of the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.

"It's great to be home," said Lt. Col. Raymond Minott, 1174th's commander. "Now we can say, 'Job accomplished.'"

While deployed to ports in both Iraq and Kuwait, the Soldiers participated in the largest movement of U.S. forces since World War II. The battalion also participated in a port-record five-vessel simultaneous load and discharge operation in Kuwait, according to an SDDC release.

"I am absolutely proud of the Soldiers of this battalion," said Minott. "Not only did they meet the standards, but they grew to exceed them. They were loading and off-loading ships faster than they were modeled to be. I am also proud of their families' sacrifices. These Soldiers couldn't do their jobs if their wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, all the way down to their children, didn't support them."

While exceeding the standard, the battalion put up impressive numbers during their time in the Middle East, moving more than 28 million square feet of cargo.

The unit returned home just two days after the Iraqi elections.

"The high turn-out for the elections points out to myself and my Soldiers that the last year we spent away from our families wasn't in vain," said Minott.

Spc. Charles Siler, Staff Writer

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