Area reservists get call to prepare for war

It was a day of military paperwork for U.S. Army Sgt. Jesse Seabaugh, form after form to be read and signed methodically. And then came the document that unsettled him, if only for a moment: his will.

But a soldier knows when to set aside his emotions.

"We've already done a half-inch high stack of paperwork today, and we're not done yet," he said Saturday. "That's when you kind of do the third-person thing and step back from it. This is the line of work we're in, and you just don't let yourself think about it."

The likelihood of a war with Iraq and the sacrifices it may demand materialized last week for Seabaugh, 35, of Jackson, and two of his fellow reservists stationed in Cape Girardeau.

As members of the 384th Engineering Company, the men were elevated to active status and soon will join another unit for retraining.

Though they don't know their ultimate destinations, Seabaugh, 31-year-old Sgt. Leo McElrath IV of Cape Girardeau, and 22-year-old specialist Benjamin Bayless of Springfield, Ill., do know their chances of being stationed near areas of future combat are good.

White House announcements of more military deployments in the Persian Gulf region painted an ever sharper picture of war over the last few days.

McElrath said his unit was alerted Wednesday of possible individual reassignments and received confirmation Thursday. Their activations were based on their specific job skills, he said.

Details of the Cape Girardeau reservists' reassignments are being kept confidential by their superiors, along with the location, when they will leave and the units they will join.

Ready to go

Seabaugh anticipated the activation. The headlines have not gotten past him, he said.

"Based on the fact we're in the reserves, we know it's part of the job to expect to be called up," Seabaugh said. "But every one of us here has been following along with the news. And we know it may not be just about Iraq, but also Afghanistan or North Korea."

Up until last week, McElrath and Seabaugh were learning to operate construction equipment and about carpentry and masonry, but since both are already fully trained as truck drivers, they will likely return to the driver's seat.

While their roles in any deployment likely won't be conflict-based, Seabaugh said they realize they may have to fire weapons sooner than they than ever expected.

"When it comes down to it, whether we're truck drivers or generator mechanics, we're all infantry soldiers," Seabaugh said.

The three are also family men, leaving behind children, parents and other loved ones.

It's hard for a man standing 6 feet 9 inches tall to avoid getting noticed when he enters a room. Still, Seabaugh bristles at the attention his activation brings, saying it is just part of the job.

Outside of the Army Reserve, Seabaugh works as a correctional officer with the Department of Corrections in Bonne Terre, Mo. He rejoined the military last year as a reservist after serving with the Army from 1987 to 1993.

During Operation Desert Storm, Seabaugh was stationed in Fort Campbell, Ky., where such a stature may have been the reason the Army kept him stateside during the conflict, he said.

"My unit went, and my equipment and my truck went, but they didn't have a chemical suit to fit me, so I stayed home," he said.

This time, Seabaugh leaves behind two daughters in Chaffee, with whom he plans to keep in contact by e-mail and handwritten letters.

"They can operate that computer better than I can," he said, laughing.

Out of school

Bayless has been in the Army Reserve for three years, trained as a generator mechanic. He expects to continue that work in his new assignment. But up until Thursday, he had expected his assignments over the coming months would be from professors at Southern Illinois University.

A recreation major, Bayless has about a year's worth of credit hours to finish before graduation, he said. The spring semester begins Monday, but his education is now placed on hold. He's not sure when he will be able to return to class, but he isn't overly concerned yet.

When Bayless told his family about his activation, their reaction was concern.

"My mom was kind of shocked by it," he said.

For now, Bayless doesn't plan on taking many personal belongings with him.

"When you don't know where you're going or what you'll be doing, you don't really want to take a lot of personal stuff," he said.

McElrath works with Jennis Transportation in Cape Girardeau. He joined the Army Reserve for the extra paycheck it provides, he said. His father and grandfather were also in the military.

After learning of his activation, he quickly told his son and other loved ones.

"He's 14, and I just told him the truth about it," he said. "I've been in the military since he was born, and he's at that age where you don't really get much of a reaction, I guess."

Still, McElrath intends on making the most of the time he has left with his family before he has to leave.

"Time. Spending time," he said. "You can't treat it like any other day because you don't really know when you'll be home. Or if."

However, he doesn't want that time to be spent in melancholy or with consoling family concerns over his safety.

"I'm just painting the best possible picture of it I can for them," he said.

Refresher course

Before being part of any deployment, the three men will spend an unspecified amount of time retraining with their new unit. That includes everything from sharpening the skills of their specific jobs skills to a refresher course in weapons.

"We have to brush up on everything we've ever done," McElrath said. "Even if we were truck drivers before, we'll have to prove it all over again."

The 384th Engineering Company is headquartered in the Plaza Shopping Center near Sears. The company has about 100 reservists from the area.

With the transfers of Seabaugh, McElrath, Bayless, and potentially others, the 348th is looking to accept new members, said Maj. Leo Buchheit.

The company needs people with construction experience, especially pipefitters, construction workers, masons and mechanics. The primary duty of the group is to construct and lay pipelines.

"This unit does have vacancies," he said. "We would encourage referrals or potential enlistments."

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160