By SCOTT MOYERS

Southeast Missourian

The last year has been a distressing one for Katie Jenkins of Cape Girardeau, who has spent countless hours waiting and worrying while her father served his yearlong tour of duty in Iraq.

"It's been difficult," said the 20-year-old Southeast Missouri State University student. "You try to tune out the fact that he's been in a dangerous place, but it's hard."

On Friday the waiting and worrying comes to an end when her dad, Sgt. Major Matt Jenkins, is scheduled to return home along with 47 other National Guard soldiers from the Cape Girardeau-based 1140th Engineer Battalion.

"Since he's been gone it's completely changed everything for our family," she said. "But the first thing I want to do is give him a big hug."

Soldiers from seven 1140th-affiliated units across Southeast Missouri will return home Friday evening after a yearlong deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers arrived at Fort Leonard Wood Sunday night and began the demobilization process Monday.

Served in Baghdad

Capt. Scot Ratcliff, the 1140th administrative officer, said the local soldiers served in Baghdad, as well as in Tallil in southern Iraq.

"They were doing a lot of route clearance, maintaining the main supply routes and making sure the traffic lines stayed open," Ratcliff said. "I'm sure they did some base camp development and upgrades for the soldiers that are there."

The units that sent soldiers included Headquarters Company and Forward Support Company, both out of Cape Girardeau; 880th Haul Team of Perryville, Mo.; 1138th Sapper Company of Farmington and Fredericktown; 220th Engineer Company of Festus; 735th Quartermaster Company and the 1221 Transportation Company of Sikeston.

1140th Engineer Battalion spokesman Cpl. Mitchell Kester said the soldiers, about 20 percent of whom volunteered for the duty, were attached to the 110th Engineer Battalion out of Kansas City. The Guardsmen were activated in August 2005; the soldiers departed for Iraq in October 2005.

The troops included maintenance workers, cooks, dump-truck drivers, combat engineers, those who build and maintain camps, and transportation workers.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137