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The captain meets the camels

2002 Cape grad serves in Southwest Asia
February 21, 2014

Camels are often accused of being ornery animals with a penchant for spitting. But Capt. Amanda Del Re (Bellistri) discovered that characterization is well off the mark.

A  2002 graduate of Cape Henlopen High and a 2006 graduate of James Madison University, Amanda is deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where she made it a point to get to know a local camel and her calf.

Besides befriending the camel, as a battery commander in 1-44 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, a Patriot Air Defense unit based out of Fort Hood, Texas, Del Re is responsible for 150 soldiers.

Amanda wed Capt. Mike Del Re in 2012. He is an armor officer serving at Fort Hood, where Amanda will return later this year.

The couple met in 2009, but between field training exercises and deployment, Amanda says they have spent more time apart then they have together.

Being a dual military couple is a challenge, she said, but being apart so much makes them appreciate the time they have together. They also take comfort in the knowledge that the sacrifices they make every day are for a much greater cause, she said.

Follow Amanda’s unit on Facebook by “liking” “HHB 1-44 AMD” where the unit posts pictures of training, operations and the local population, including the camels.

 

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