Members of the 319th Expeditionary Signal Battalion wait to get their medal awards during a soldiers’ homecoming and medal ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday.
ZIYU JULIAN ZHU
julian.zhu@sacbee.com
Capt. Andrew Henderson, a company commander with the Army Reserve’s 319th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, remembered the day a missile struck near a bunker in the Middle East where he and his soldiers had hidden from enemy fire.
“The vacuum pressure from the missile actually ripped the doors open off our bunkers,” he said. “The bolt holding that door shut actually bounced off my helmet.” Some people were knocked unconscious.
“I exit the bunker and just see burning destruction all around us,” he said. After receiving clearance to move, he said, “we started triaging for the mass casualty event.”
Henderson, who suffered traumatic brain injuries including a concussion during the attack, was among six soldiers awarded Purple Hearts at a ceremony Saturday at B.T. Collins Army Reserve Center in Depot Park honoring members of the Sacramento-based 319th Expeditionary Signal Battalion who were wounded after deploying to the Middle East amid the war in Iran. In addition to Purple Hearts, soldiers at the ceremony received numerous combat action badges.
The unit first deployed to the Middle East last August, amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. The conflict began in June 2025 with the U.S. military bombing three nuclear sites in Iran; the next day, Iran launched missile strikes at a U.S. military base in Qatar. No casualties were reported in either action.
About six months after the battalion deployed, on Feb. 27, President Donald Trump ordered the start of Operation Epic Fury. The military one day later launched airstrikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
That day brought major change for the battalion, which is trained to develop and maintain data and communications networks for soldiers in the field.
The group which had been focused on “training, classes, and learning new skills,” had to immediately switch gears, Henderson said. “Rather than, ‘Let’s just build skills for our future,’ what do we need to do right here, right now, for if and when we go to war?”
A Purple Heart medal is being presented to a member of the 319th Expeditionary Signal Battalion during a soldiers’ homecoming and medal ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com
At Saturday’s ceremony, elected officials and military leaders said the group had provided key support under extraordinary circumstances.
“In modern warfare, data is a weapon,” said communication is a lifeline for commanders to make decisions,” said Brig. Gen. Kimberly Hamilton, deputy commanding general of the 335th Signal Command (Theater). “Because of your technical skills and tireless work ethic, commanders were able to maintain situational awareness.”
U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui told the soldiers, “Your return brings relief, and it fills Sacramento with pride.”
“Standing here with you and your families is really a reminder of everything you leave behind when you deploy, and everything you’re willing to sacrifice,” Matsui continued.
Two of the soldiers recognized at the ceremony, Staff Sgt. Shawn Brewer and Spc. Chuehue Thao, are Sacramento residents. Pfc. Christopher Nieto, from San Jose, had one leg in a medical boot. All three received Purple Hearts.
Chief warrant officer 5 James Carr, right, helps Purple Heart recipient Spc. Christopher Nieto to his seat during a soldiers’ homecoming and medal ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com 
U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui speaks during a soldiers’ homecoming and medal ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com
Sgt. Andrew Ramirez, a battalion member from Stockton, said he remembered the shift on Feb. 27 preparing for Operation Epic Fury. “We picked up the pace pretty fast,” he said.
Ramirez was also awarded a Purple Heart, which is bestowed on service members who are wounded or killed by enemy action.
“I’m grateful to God, and I’m happy to be here with everybody,” Ramirez said of the day he was injured.
Ramirez did not speak on the specifics of his injury, but Henderson said a majority of those hurt in the explosion suffered traumatic brain injuries.
U.S. Army Spc. Chuehue Thao, left, Sgt. Andrew Ramirez, center, and Staff Sgt. Shawn Brewer of the 319th Expeditionary Signal Battalion await commands after receiving Purple Heart medals during a soldiers homecoming ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com 
Maj. Gen. Windsor S. Buzza, from right, and Brig. Gen. Kimberly K. Hamilton attend a soldiers’ homecoming and medal ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com
His full story, Ramirez said, is something he will share with his future kids someday.
“It was definitely a story to add to my dad lore,” he said.
“Knowing that something happened, and that something happened to him, was really scary at first,” said Yahira Selinger, Ramirez’s sister.
“Knowing that he’s safe was a lot of relief,” she continued. “And we didn’t have to worry as much, because we knew that he was safe, and that they were taking care of him, and he was able to come back soon.”
Now that he has returned, Ramirez said, he just wants to enjoy the comforts of home.
“The first thing I did, was I went to Texas Roadhouse, got me a nice steak.”
U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley speaks during a soldiers’ homecoming and medal ceremony at B.T. Collins U.S. Army Reserve Center in Sacramento on Saturday. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com
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Haley Parsley is the acting Folsom and El Dorado Hills watchdog reporter for The Sacramento Bee. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, where she was a fellow at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. While there, she reported on immigration policy in the state. She has previously reported in Oklahoma City.