Michigan Guard Soldiers Transition Home After Southern Border Activation

LANSING, Mich. - The 1463rd Transportation Company, Michigan National Guard, was officially welcomed home Feb. 21 during a Yellow Ribbon reintegration event following a 14-month activation in support of U.S. Northern Command.

The event brought Soldiers and their families together to connect with critical resources that help ease the transition back to civilian life after a demanding mission along the U.S. southern border.

During the mobilization, the unit operated across two states, adapted to shifting legal authorities and coordinated with multiple government agencies. Leaders said the reintegration event is designed to ensure Soldiers and families have the tools they need as they shift from operational tempo back to home life.

The Yellow Ribbon program provides information and support to service members and their families throughout the deployment cycle. Kyle Gwilt, a Yellow Ribbon coordinator for the Michigan National Guard, emphasized the importance of the post-mobilization event.

"The goal for this event would be to inform Soldiers and their support group, which is their families or friends that they're the closest to, of the resources that they're entitled to following their deployment," Gwilt said. "This weekend they're receiving insurance, education, community outreach, financial and some employment resources."

For Soldiers like Spc. Christian Gutierrez, returning home, has required adjustment.

"The biggest adjustment is the free time, I guess, having more freedom to do what I want, like get in my vehicle when I want, and be on my own schedule," he said.

Since returning, Gutierrez has focused on building structure in his daily life, using tuition benefits to enroll in a local community college.

Company leadership - Capt. Zachery Geno and 1st Sgt. Terrence Marshall stressed the importance of deliberate reintegration.

"It is making sure everyone gets home with their families, gets the resources they need and has a safe transition back into normal life," Geno said.

Marshall, a veteran of five deployments, noted the unique challenges of this mission.

"This transition is a little bit harder [than previous activations] because when I was overseas, there was really no leave given, so in some ways it was easier to focus on the mission," Marshall said. "This time, because we were still stateside, many Soldiers struggled to let their family handle business at home."

Despite those challenges, Geno expressed pride in the unit's accomplishments, including employment of advanced counter-unmanned aircraft systems technology, support to a wildfire evacuation in California and life-saving actions at a vehicle accident.

"We were one of the most productive units on the border for the year," Geno said. "Our Soldiers got a lot of training and actual utilization from those systems while working with other governmental agencies."

Leaders also emphasized the connection between family stability and mission readiness.

"When there's family problems at home, you're not 100% of who you need to be for the mission," Geno said. "Having the resources from the state to support families when there are problems is a force multiplier to allow the Soldiers to actually perform and handle their jobs and not be worried about what's happening at home."

As Soldiers of the 1463rd Transportation Company move forward, leaders said the Yellow Ribbon event serves as a bridge between deployment and reintegration, connecting them with the support they need for long-term success.

"When taken advantage of, it can really change people's circumstances, change their lives and change their futures," Gwilt said about the resources provided.

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