Zellaha preparing for Afghanistan deployment

Cpl. Tyson Zellaha [Order this photo]

Zellaha, a Marine corporal, volunteered to go. Just weeks away from deployment, the 20-year-old considers himself one of the lucky ones because he is one of 20 chosen to serve on a special artillery/security mission.

"I figure this is what I do. I didn't enlist to stay back here not doing anything," he said.

Of the soldiers being redeployed with him, Zellaha added, "These guys are my brothers. I've been with them for a long time now, the last few years."

Currently based with the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment Headquarters Battery, Zellaha will be the select group's convoy gunner and perform security for the battalion's colonel and sergeant major.

The 3/11 is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Of the current situation in Afghanistan, Zellaha said, "It's bad over there right now. I'd compare it to '03 in Iraq. They're taking contact all the time. ... But, they've been training us for it. When we get there, all they have to do is say, 'This is what you're finally doing. Go do it.'"

"They're slowly dropping stuff (deployment and mission details) down to us," he added. "We finally just got the days when we're going to go. That was supposed to be personal information for us, though, not even for our family. Pretty much what they told us is we're going to Afghanistan. We're going to start training. This deployment is going to come up very quick, and they're preparing us for the worst over there."

From Spencer to Afghanistan

After enlisting on Dec. 28, 2005, the 2006 Spencer High School graduate officially earned the title of "U.S. Marine" on Nov. 22, 2006, after graduating from Marine Corps recruit training in San Diego. From January through March 2007, Zellaha learned his artillery job at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla. The following month, he joined the Marine fleet with the 3/11 Mike Battery 1st Platoon in Twentynine Palms, Calif., home to the world's largest Marine Corps base which serves as the premier training facility in the world for Marine operations and draws military personnel from all over the world for combined arms exercises.

As his battalion built up and/or was deployed for Iraq, Zellaha said 18,000 rounds of artillery were shot over a seven-month timeframe as his battery remained at Twentynine Palms to support the Mojave Vipers, a pre-deployment training all Marines go through before Iraq. After a two-week trip to Camp Pendleton, Calif., where Zellaha trained with Iraqi soldiers, some who served as body guards for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, he started his seven-month tour of duty shooting artillery while based at the Al Taqaddum Airbase in central Iraq.

He remembers becoming used to hearing gunshots throughout the night and listening to prayers and singing three to four times each day over a loudspeaker. Zellaha compared this to the sounding of Spencer's siren.

"It would be prayers and singing for about 15 minutes. After that, you'd see explosions glow in the night and hear the gunfire," he reflected. "It's still not safe over there, though. It's not a place you can just go and walk around or take a vacation."

As his battery divided into three missions, Zellaha chose to serve near Fallujah on the personal and convoy security mission for military captains, majors and colonels, detainees and others from late May to early September 2008.

"Whatever mission that came down is what we'd be doing. We'd take regular civilian contractors to go out there if somebody needed to take them. We were pretty busy," he recalled.

Zellaha's last two months in Iraq, he returned to his artillery mission, which was then based out of Camp Baharia near Fallujah. He returned to the United States on Oct. 30.

On a pre-deployment leave currently, he arrived in Spencer Saturday night and plans to depart again on Easter. This will mark his second tour of duty in three years.

"That's not a bad gig," the Marine said with a smile. "Instead of sitting back here training, I'd rather be doing something. ... This is what I wanted to do, go see other places and actually do something."

Zellaha, who celebrated his 19th birthday training in the middle of the Mojave Desert and his 20th birthday in Iraq, will observe his 21st birthday on May 3.

"The odds are I'm going to be sitting on a plane somewhere," he said. " ... Shortly after that, I'll be sitting in Afghanistan. It's kind of cool, though, because I get to spend my 21st in the United States."

Keeping his focus stateside, the noncommissioned military officer noted he's noticed a disconnect among American civilians concerning the war.

"You can see a little bit on the news what's going on over there. But really, you have no idea until you're there," Zellaha said. "I mean, (what I've described) was Iraq in '08. Which was nothing compared to what it was in '03 -- which is where Afghanistan is now."

He then encouraged people, whether they support the cause or not, to at least support American troops.

"Because we're the ones fighting. We're not the people sitting up higher and giving the orders," he said. "As a Marine, it's my duty to go fight the United States' fight. And, if it wasn't for people who volunteered or would go, then America wouldn't be what it is today."

Zellaha, who entered the military under the GI Bill, signed on for four years of active duty. With August marking his third year of active duty, he is currently considering re-enlisting for another four years.