Back from Afghanistan: Home for holidays

Sgt. Jeffrey Brown arrives Sunday night. Del Norte Triplicate/Richard Wiens

Specialist James Diehl and Staff Sgt. John Espitia, both of Crescent City, and Sgt. Jeffrey Brown of Brookings were three of 160 soldiers from the California National Guard’s 870th Military Police Company who returned from a war zone just in time for the holidays.

The company is credited with averting a potentially deadly insurgent attack last May.

Diehl and Espitia were also deployed with the unit to Iraq in 2003.

Diehl, 38, has lived most of his life in Crescent City and joined the Guard in 1992, when the traditional slogan “one weekend a month, two weeks a year,” still applied to the typical commitment. He’s since spent two years in embattled foreign countries.

Specialist James Diehl arrives Sunday night. Del Norte Triplicate/Richard Wiens

Some 36,750 California guardsmen have been deployed since 9/11: more than 15,000 to Kuwait and Iraq, and upwards of 5,000 to Afghanistan. There are currently 490 California Guard troops in Afghanistan, according to California Military Department spokesperson Lt. Will Martin.

Diehl plans to marry fiancee Gina Lueckfeld this August, spend time with his kids, and possibly go back to school for paramedic training.

He credits the Guard with allowing him to travel and meet all kinds of people. Besides Iraq and Afghanistan, he’s been to Italy and Germany in the line of duty since joining at the tender age of 19.

Now 49, Espitia didn’t enlist in the Guard until he was 33.

Diehl’s daughter, Haven, 6, below right, greets him. Del Norte Triplicate/Richard Wiens

Espitia has lived in Crescent City for 22 years. He is married with three grown kids and two grandkids. He plans to relax and take it slow before going back to work as a correctional officer.

“It’s something I volunteered for. I don’t begrudge any of my decisions. I’m glad I did it; I’m glad it’s over. I don’t think I’ll do it again,” Espitia said of his service.

Typically, (though not certainly), a Guard unit is not considered for overseas deployment more than once every two or three years, Martin said. There are no plans to send the 870th back anytime soon.

“There will always be some kind of conflict in the world,” Espitia mused about the odds duty will call again. “I try not to think about it. I just want to come back and try to recapture, not go back to where you left off, because that’s impossible. We call that finding a normal.”

“I’m also concentrating on my wife,” he laughed. They are going to Hawaii next month.

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