Politics & Government
Deployment to Afghanistan Likely for Stow Law Director
City Council makes plans for absence of Brian Reali, a lawyer for the Ohio Army National Guard.
Stow Law Director Brian Reali told members on Thursday that it’s “very probable” that he will be deploying to Afghanistan in mid-June for an Ohio Army National Guard assignment that could last from seven to 10 months.
In anticipation of Reali’s likely deployment, council approved ordinances (attached to this story as .pdf files) increasing the work hours of two law department employees to help fill the void created by his absence.
Reali, who was re-elected to his second, four-year term as Stow law director last November, has been in the Ohio Army National Guard since 2000. He is a judge advocate, or Army lawyer, with Joint Force Headquarters Ohio.
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“A judge advocate can do everything from contact law to law of war to criminal prosecution to administrative actions,” Reali, 41, explained.
He has served two, 10-month tours of duty since 2005: one in Kosovo, when he was Stow’s deputy law director, and another in Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom after being elected as law director. He also served a short stint in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.
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“There are periods between deployments where you don’t get deployed, like two or three years,” he explained. “I’m going to Afghanistan, but I don’t know where yet. It’s not 100 percent locked in, but it’s highly probable that I’ll be leaving June 15.”
The length of his possible deployment is also up in the air. “The Army decides when your mission is complete, ultimately. My guess is that anywhere between seven to 10 months wouldn’t be unrealistic,” he said.
The hardest part about deployments is being away from his four children who range in age from three to 11.
“The two younger ones don’t’ have a concept of what the time span is and the two older ones are doing okay. They both saw daddy go before, but it’s probably harder on them than anyone,” Reali said.
In his absence, , who was in January, will be in charge of the law department’s civil/administrative side. , lead prosecutor for city, will be in charge of prosecutions. Part-time employee Nichole Welsh will assist both of them, Reali said.