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Pocono News Section
Soldier Welcomed Home From Iraq in Sunbury
Soldier Welcomed Home From Iraq in Sunbury - Monday, July 28, 2008 at 7:53PM EST
Reported by: Eric Deabill
Monday, Jul 28, 2008 @ 07:53pm EST
SUNBURY, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY - Monday was a big day for a soldier who works in central Pennsylvania. After serving overseas for the last year in Iraq, Blaine Fessler returned back to his civilian job.
Fessler spent Monday morning taking phone calls at his office in Susquehanna Bank. For the last year, the agricultural lender answered a different call, keeping his country safe.
"It was tough, missing the family, not being with the family for a year, so coming back here and getting back to normal again, it feels good," Fessler said.
Friends and co-workers honored Fessler's service Monday with a special lunch party. Everyone, including his customers, are glad Blaine's back.
"The first call he got was from one of his customers, justing waiting for him to come back," co-worker Scott Hauseman said.
Fessler was an inspector general for the 316th Sustainment Command in Iraq. That means he took care of soldier's problems. A simple task, that the customer service specialist, is used to.
"That's basically what I provided in Iraq. I provided service to our soldiers, to our units, solving their problems, taking requests, just like a I take loan requests here," Fessler said.
With a "Welcome Home" banner hanging outside the bank, Fessler knows he was missed. His co-workers sent him letters and care packages all the time. Sometimes work even needed to be done from the warzone.
"A couple times, every two weeks or so, we emailed back and forth. We could work through some issues with customers if we had them," Hauseman said.
"It helped to have that connection, back to the states and back to family, friends and colleagues," Fessler said.
Fessler was called to duty because he served with the US Army Reserves. He has worked for Susquehanna Bank for the last two years. | | |
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