Planners, commanders of Marine unit deploy to Persian Gulf to prepare for possible Iraq war

Friday, November 22nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) _ Hundreds of Marines shared hugs and tears with family members before boarding planes headed for the Persian Gulf to prepare for a possible war with Iraq.

Marcielle Caganap, 24, sat in a parking lot at Camp Pendleton watching as her husband and other Marines, part of the headquarters element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, prepared to leave Thursday night.

Holding her 3-month old daughter, Nadine, Caganap said she had spent a long time preparing for this moment.

``I have had to be patient and have faith,'' she said. ``We've tried to spend as much quality time as we could.''

Her husband, Sgt. Elvin Caganap, 25, is part of a unit of planners and commanders whose job is to prepare for the movement of troops, aircraft, supplies and equipment.

Col. John Coleman, an officer in the command staff, said it was unclear when the unit would return to San Diego.

``We'll do initial exercises and then we'll standby for further direction,'' he said.

During Operation Desert Storm 12 years ago, ground troops in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force helped expel Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait by clearing openings through heavily defended mine fields.

The unit will join other U.S. forces in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and other countries in the Persian Gulf. While deployed, the Marines will participate in Internal Look, an exercise designed to test their readiness to command a 45,000-member force overseas.

Coleman would not say how many Marines were going or where they would be based during the deployment, which he acknowledged was difficult on members and their loved ones.

``It's a tough time on these families,'' he said, but added, ``These Marines are doing their job. They expect this.''

Gunnery Sgt. Claudia La Mantia, 37, of San Francisco was leaving behind fellow Marine and husband John La Mantia, 38, and their 16-year-old daughter. She said the family has had to endure military departures before, but she thought her leaving this time had a greater impact on her husband.

``I think the husbands who stay behind have the same feelings as the other spouses, they just handle it different,'' she said.

Maj. Geoffrey Thome, 35, of Arvada, Colo., has been deployed before, but he said this was more difficult because now he has a wife and 2-year old son.

``I told her to leave, it gets painful for both of us,'' Thome said as family members quickly said their goodbyes.