Motorcyclist, firefighter, soldier

Fort Stewart, GA- Specialist John Villegas, 41, of East Chicago, IN had been waiting for this day for a long time. Saturday was the Indiana 76th Brigade Combat Team’s farewell ceremony at Fort Stewart GA.

Over 3,000 Indiana soldiers assembled on the parade field in full battle gear were greeted by Indiana’s Governor- Mitch Daniels and its Adjutant General- Martin Umbarger, and thousands of friends and family.

But Spc. Villegas could hardly wait to march off the field. He had been waiting for his younger brother, Joe, 36, also an East Chicago firefighter. Joe and another friend, Ruben Murillo, 46, a East Chicago paramedic, drove a truck and trailer hauling three Harley Davidson’s all the way from the Mid-West.

One of these sparkling bikes, a 2003 Ultra-classic firefighter’s edition, belonged to Villegas. He had driven over 60,000 miles on it, including a ride to the four corners of the U.S. following his last deployment to Iraq in 2005.

“Everything for me is motorcycles, fire department and military,” Villegas said. “Right now I’m on the military side.”

He said that for his second deployment, the training has been a lot more intense. But it needs to be. “You’re more scared the second time because you know what can happen.”

In Mosul in 2005, Villegas was a .50 caliber Humvee gunner. This time with Alpha company of 1/293 battalion he will perform the same gunner mission.

He can count at least eight Indiana soldiers who were with him in Mosul on IED removal missions, now set to deploy again with the 76th Indiana Brigade Combat Team.

Villegas’s high school age son and college age daughter knew that their father believed in the mission, but the rest of his family, including his wife Debora, of 22 years and his brother Joe, were upset when they learned he was going back to Iraq.

When he came back he was a different person for a little while, Joe said. “It’s a little scary for us.”

But Villegas has a different perspective on his upcoming deployment.

“It’s in my heart,” Villegas said. “It takes its toll, (citing the stresses and his age) but I will continue the mission to the best of my ability.”

Find this article at the Post-Tribune