Journal Reporter

Ask Maureen Dieball of Rosemont what kind of a Christmas she's having this year, and she'll tell you, "About a million percent better than last year."

That's because her son, Christopher, and a few dozen of his military buddies are home safe in the United States, instead of escorting convoys over dangerous roads in Iraq.

While 2003 was a nerve-wracking year for Maureen, her son, and the 933rd military police company of the Illinois National Guard, 2004 has been a much better one. After a couple of false announcements, the unit finally was rotated home in August, to rejoin their families and return to jobs, school, and careers interrupted by the Iraq War. During a year-long stint in Iraq, the unit had one fatality and several other members received minor wounds.

In fact, the unit's Christmas season this year was highlighted last weekend with a full-scale military ball in the Stephens Convention Center, with most members attending.

"It's been a wonderful time for all of us since August, when they finally came home," said Dieball, a marketing and promotion executive at the center. "We raised enough funds last summer, with the help of the organization that sponsors the company, to hold a real nice ball last weekend."

The sponsoring organization is the Family Readiness Network, which supports military units fighting in Iraq in a variety of ways and works with local communities to "adopt" units. Rosemont died just that a year ago when the village adopted the 933rd. Rosemont School students have sent food, letters and other items to members of the unit, and local organizations, including the Rosemont Chamber of Commerce, have helped raise funds for various activities.

Shadowing all of this, however, is the knowledge that, unless the war unexpectedly ends very soon, the unit probably will have to return to the war-torn Middle Eastern nation sometime, probably next year. "Eventually, that will probably happen, we just don't know when," Maureen said. "We're just trying not to think about that now."

His service in the 933rd has influenced Christopher to change careers, she said. "He was in marketing before, and now he's in the Chicago Police Academy and plans a career in law enforcement. It's an example of how military service can change your career plans."

The future is not perfect for the 933rd, but the present is pretty nice.