Marine a bit homesick, but proud to fight for country

Cpl. Suannette Rios SAYREVILLE — Making good on the promises stipulated in the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement, all American troops withdrew from Iraqi territory by the end of 2011.

Most of those service men and women formerly stationed there were able to ring in the new year with family and friends, stateside .

However, troops serving tours in Afghanistan received no such gift.

Cpl. Suannette Rios, 22, of Sayreville, celebrated the holidays away from her family for the first time this season and described the situation as her most difficult overseas experience so far.

“I have never missed any holidays with my family,” she said. “It almost made me depressed on those specific days, but I knew that being out here was going to be worth it in the end.”

Rios said she called home as often as possible and visited the gym to relieve her stress. Rios enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2009 and is serving her first tour in Afghanistan at Camp Leatherneck. She arrived Aug. 4 and is expected to return in early or mid-February.

Before her deployment, Rios was a part of Squadron MALS-31 in Beaufort, S.C. She now works as a logistics specialist, ensuring all aircraft are mission-capable ready. Rios said she joined the Marines in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“9/11 affected me in a way I never knew possible, and I knew I wanted to do something important,” she said. “I wanted to go to the war and say I helped out in some way.”

Rios said the troops returning from tours in Iraq will most likely have a hard time readjusting to civilian life, as she finds it challenging during her four- to five-day stints at home.

“I want to see so many people, but I can’t,” she said. “By the time I get used to it, I have to leave again. I miss my family so much. I always feel like I’m missing out on the important stuff or just quality time.”

The lifelong Sayreville resident said the decision to withdraw from Iraq came as a surprise to her, and she believes it will be a long time before the same happens in Afghanistan. Rios witnesses a great deal of corruption in the country and said there are bitter feelings among the local residents that “we cannot control.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterans aged 18 to 24 had a 30 percent unemployment rate as of October. Although she does not see an end to the war in Afghanistan coming anytime soon, Rios thinks about the job search that awaits her and the other troops down the line.

“With the drawbacks in the military, a lot of people are searching for jobs on top of the ones who were already, back home,” she said. “It’s only going to be more competitive, so I am making the most of my career right now and building as much experience as I can.”

Rios said former service members have much to offer prospective employers that should be considered. She believes their experience with delegation, responsibility and teamwork allows them stand out in the job force.

“Being able to follow rules and regulations is something we have to do day in and day out with the utmost professionalism,” she said. “We desire respect, so being the best we can be will be evident in everything we do.”

With the lives of more than 6,000 U.S. service men and women lost in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and thousands of others returning home with psychological challenges, Rios said many Americans do not fully realize the sacrifices made by people fighting these wars.

“Not being around your family and friends, or living our lives back home where we came from takes a toll on all of us at some point,” she said. “Experiencing it for myself was life-changing. We do not take the little things for granted.”

Rios said convenient Internet and phone access and home-cooked meals are just a few of the luxuries she misses most, but she would not trade her Marine experience for any of those things. She earned her rank as corporal in October, achieving the necessary “cutting score” only six months after becoming a lance corporal.

“I’mproud to be a Marine, and I wouldn’t regret it for anything,” she said. “I’m here representing my family and my home.”

Contact Deanna McLafferty at DMcLafferty@gmnews.com.