FAIRHOPE, Ala. — For families of the approximately 170 National Guard troops of the 1165th Military Police Co., the Dec. 28 notice that the unit had been “off-ramped” and would not be deployed to Iraq as expected came as good news.

But for soldiers of the unit headquartered at Fort Riel National Guard Armory in Fairhope, learning they would not deployed was a different matter.

“When you get a unit that’s ready to go, it’s kind of a letdown when you don’t,” 1st Lt. Courtney Pullum, the unit’s commanding officer, said this week.

The unit received notice about four months ago of its expected deployment, said Sgt. 1st Class James Martin, the unit’s noncommissioned officer in charge.

“That’s what we’re here for,” said Martin, who was deployed in 2003-2004 with a different unit, regarding the unit’s mission of being ready to go when called. “It’s what our job is. We train like we’re deploying the next day.”

The 1165th was also deployed during the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he said, and received three citations for its service that year, including the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest award granted to military units that have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act. The unit also received a Valorous Unit Award and a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

“(The 1165th is) the only company in the area that received the Presidential Citation,” Martin said. “The citations were awarded for what the unit did during its deployment (in 2003-2004).”

Martin said that U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Mobile) presented the award to the unit.

During that time, several residents formed a Citizens for Local Troop Support group, said Joe Birindelli, one of the co-chairs, with Lori DuBose.

He said the committee has spent almost $20,000 on relief to assist numerous families, including paying utility bills and for an attorney to prevent a foreclosure, among many other services.

“But the community is glad to have them here,” Birindelli said after Pullum explained that some of the troops had felt let down after learning they had been off-ramped from its previously-scheduled deployment.

Pullum had also said, “It’s a little of both getting that news. “There’s a reason there’s no time share (condos) over there.”