Spc. Roger Jongewaard, from Garden Grove, Calif., and

Spc. Roger Jongewaard, from Garden Grove, Calif., and Spc. Vadim Shafir, from Los Angeles, paint the California state flag on the protective wall surrounding their unit, Easy Company, 185th Armored Battalion, California Army National Guard, at Contingency Operating Base Q-West, Jan. 5. The unit assumed responsibility for operations, Nov. 22, 2008, and is expected to return to California in August 2009. "I'm just proud to be from California," Jongewaard said.