Monday, May 17, 2004 Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176 California Soldiers Welcomed Home by Schiff Local Lawmaker Traveled to San Francisco on Saturday to Greet Army Guard Battalion Back from Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo   WASHINGTON, DC – At the Marines’ Memorial Club in San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood on Saturday, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) welcomed home the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion of the California Army National Guard.  Among the Battalion’s six companies was Charlie Company of Glendale, composed of soldiers who served more than a year in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. Of the 30 soldiers deployed from Glendale’s Charlie Company, 27 were in attendance, representing hometowns such as Alhambra, Glendale and Los Angeles as well as Bakersfield, Fresno, Ontario, Riverside and San Diego. “I was thoroughly impressed by the courage and dedication of these soldiers,” Schiff said.  “These patriotic Americans sacrificed greatly to secure democratic values around the world, and I was thrilled to be there to thank them for their service and welcome them home.” As a gesture of appreciation, Congressman Schiff presented a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol to the Battalion.  He spoke at the welcome home event and attended a luncheon where he met with many of the soldiers individually to talk about their experiences in war. “It was great to have the Congressman talking,” Sergeant First Class Richard Rodriguez said.  “I know that the soldiers felt good that the Congressman spoke to them.”   “It was a wonderful opportunity for the soldiers to be reunited one more time and to be reintegrated back into civilian life,” Staff Sergeant Ken Weichert said.   Congressman Schiff paid a special thanks to Charlie Company’s Sergeant E-5 Amy Tsui, a recipient of the Purple Heart earned during a Fall 2003 grenade attack in Samarra, Iraq in which she received a shrapnel wound to her eye.  Sergeant Tsui returned to her duties in Iraq three days after surgery and suffered no permanent damage.   Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees.  He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, including the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.