Guard members home from Iraq today

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Four soldiers from the Nevada Army National Guard's 72nd Military Police Company will arrive home about 9:30 a.m. today at the Carson City Airport from operations in Iraq.

The soldiers will arrive in a C-12, a small military plane. The Northern Nevada soldiers are from Yerington, Fernley and Carson City.

The unit will return to Fort Lewis, Wash., on Sunday to continue its demobilization process but will be back in Nevada permanently next week.

The 72nd Company includes about 100 soldiers, who drill with the company in Southern Nevada at Henderson Armory, and a detachment of about 20 soldiers who drill in Ely.

About 90 of the troops will return to Nellis Air Force Base with four returning to Northern Nevada.

Several members elected to stay in Washington.

"We are glad these guys are getting home for Thanksgiving," said Staff Sgt. Erick Studenicka, public affairs specialist for the Nevada National Guard in Carson City.

The 72nd Military Police Company has been one of Nevada's most heavily tasked Army Guard units.

Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, it deployed for a nearly a year to California to provide security to the Presidio of Monterey, the Defense Language Institute and the Ord Military Community.

Soon after its deactivation in September 2002, the unit was again tapped for duty. It was activated for Operation Enduring Freedom in February 2003 and deployed to Southwest Asia in May.