Local guardsmen
head to Sinai

By Diane Prokop
Times Staff Writer

Duffel bags lined the sidewalk outside the National Guard Armory on the Monday after Thanksgiving, while Spec. Rob Portone and his fellow B-troopers spent some time inside with their families before heading off to Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County to prepare for another overseas deployment.
It was just 17 months and 11 days earlier that the members of B-Troop 1/104th Cavalry returned from an 18-month deployment and a year in Iraq. The Times had followed Portone’s tour in Iraq with regular articles in 2006.
This time around, about 50 B-troopers will be deployed with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Desert of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It’s also located near the Red Sea 5-star resort of Sharm el Sheikh.
Portone is looking forward to the deployment, to being busy again. He was unable to find work since returning from Iraq.
"It was rough," he said.
His mother, Barbara Portone, believes that while businesses wouldn’t express their concerns that the soldier was still a National Guardsman who could be redeployed at any time, she has no doubt it was the reason her son encountered difficulty landing a job.
The Wissinoming soldier also put on hold his plans to enter the Philadelphia Police Academy until he fulfills his deployment.
He expects this mission to be a lot less stressful than the time spent in Iraq, where B-troopers lost two of their own. Sgt. Michael Egan and Spec. William Fernandez were killed on Sept. 19, 2005 when an explosive device was detonated near their vehicle.
"We’ve seen a lot of war and carnage," 1st Lt. Jason Secrest, the B-Troop commander, said to his men during formation inside the armory at Roosevelt Boulevard and Southampton Road.
He expects the Sinai mission to be a lot safer.
"The anxiety level is down. No combat, just maintaining the peace. Not a shot has been fired on this mission," Secrest said.
The MFO’s mission is to supervise implementation of security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace and prevent any violation of its terms.
The peace treaty was signed on March 26, 1979 by then Egyptian President Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat and Menachem Begin, at the time Israel’s prime minister.
The MFO is composed of armed forces from 11 countries, including Australia, Canada, Colombia, Republic of the Fiji Islands, France, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Uruguay.
The United States provides the single largest contingent to the MFO. It will be under the command of Maj. Gen. Kjell Narve Ludvigsen of Norway.
In addition to the different nature of the mission, the experienced leaders within B-Troop will help to lessen the stress for those who are being deployed.
"We’ve got top-notch professionals, a lot of experience here," Secrest said. "A lot of my leaders are established."
One such veteran is Paul A. Smith, who has served in Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq and now Egypt.
"I’ve been around. This deployment is kind of like my sunset," said Smith, who hails from West Philly. He has served with the Marines, Navy and Army, and now will serve with the MFO.
From Fort Indiantown Gap, the B-troopers were scheduled to fly to the Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington state for several weeks of training before heading off to Egypt after the holidays.
In addition to a family feast provided by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, the B-troopers got an early present when they learned last Monday morning that they’d get to come home for Christmas.
That’s an extra-special gift for Pfc. Anthony Sloan, who was holding his 6-month-old daughter Marlie Rae.
"Now I’ll be able to be there for her first Christmas," he said. ••
For more information about the B-troopers’ mission, visit www.mfo.org
Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com