Two Emporians have been called with their units to serve in Iraq.
Army Pvt. Jason Hart of Emporia left Saturday on assignment to the Saddam Palace in Baghdad, Iraq. Sgt. Gary Poff was activated with his National Guard unit and left Monday morning to join his unit for training before they go to Iraq.
Hart, the son of Diana and Steve Hart, graduated in 2006 from Emporia High School. He completed basic training April 20 at Fort Benning, Ga., and was sent to Fort Hood, Tex., to join the First Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade combat team. There, he soon received orders to go to Baghdad.
Hart will be patrolling on foot and in a Bradley armored vehicle, according to information from his parents.
“It is amazing how you can feel such pride and terror at the same time,” Diana Hart said.
Poff, 44, was called to active duty with his Army National Guard unit.
“He left this morning. He’s gone in full active duty,” his wife, Marlina, said on Monday. “They went through the Guards out of Kansas and picked out the guys that they’re needing and made a whole new unit for it.”
Poff already had served in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.
“It’s his turn again to go,” she said.
Poff will be in charge of a group that includes four Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity brothers at Emporia State University. The four — Sgt. Matt Nordquist, Spec. Dylan Richardson, Spec. Adam Schuetz and Pfc. Jonathan Lofgren — were featured recently in a Gazette article, “Band of Brothers,” about their upcoming deployment.
Marlina Poff said she could not talk about where the new unit will be stationed.