Sailors share war stories from Iraq

“I think the first thing I did was play with my daughter,” said Schmitter, of Odenton.

“I had to keep my glasses on for three weeks so my daughter would recognize me,” Alsina said. “... But it was good to be home.”

More than 30 other sailors and Naval officers stationed at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Annapolis Naval Station will be telling similar stories today during a homecoming ceremony honoring those returning from overseas deployment.

Schmitter, of Odenton, and Alsina, of Annapolis, were deployed in May 2006 to separate areas in Iraq but with the same mission: Install technology that detects improvised explosive devices and teach Army soldiers how to use the gear.

Though both men had served in other deployments, this recent one was the longest and hardest. They were under fire and witnessed death firsthand.

“One day, we had a memorial service for two guys we lost, and that night, we lost another,” said Schmitter, who was stationed near Baghdad Airport.

But they found solace and hope in helping soldiers avoid IEDs, which were common threats.

“It makes you elated that these guys are coming back in one piece because of what you are doing,” said Alsina, who was stationed in Ramadi.

During their deployment, e-mails, webcams and phone calls kept the men in touch with their families.

“My wife is the true hero, doing the single-mother thing while I was away,” Schmitter said.

Their initial homecoming in March was an intimate gathering at an airport, where they were pleasantly surprised by the responses from complete strangers — thank-yous, applause and even a free lunch at Wendy’s.

Alsina and Schmitter said they do not expect to be deployed again, and added that mending time lost from their families was as tough a mission as locating killer explosives.

“I had to keep telling [my daughter] that [daddy] was not goingaway,” Alsina said. “Daddy is home.”

jflanagan@baltimoreexaminer.com