There was no band. No speeches. The members of the Marine Corps Reserve unit based at Fort Lewis stepped off the bus and walked directly into the arms of their family members.

For Sgt. Arsenio Diga, that meant no wait in holding his 4-month old daughter, Jaynah, for the first time.

Diga and about 45 other Marines of the headquarters and service company of the 4th Landing Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group returned home after a seven-month deployment Thursday.

“It’s a bit overwhelming right now,” said Diga, a 25-year-old Renton native.

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Five large projection screens displayed a schedule, a map of Iraq, flowcharts and a live broadcast of MSNBC. Soldiers sat in front of computer monitors, typing constantly and receiving updates from around Iraq.

Over the public-address system, a voice announced news of a suicide bombing in Mosul, followed by an ambush by insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. The target: the mayor and police chief.

Thursday afternoon’s scenario at Fort Lewis was part of a two-week mission rehearsal exercise involving more than 900 local troops.

Next spring the soldiers of I Corps will go to Iraq to run day-to-day operations of the American military’s presence in the country. That responsibility has been rotated among the Army’s other three corps since the beginning of the war in 2003.

Two Stryker infantry brigades from Fort Lewis are expected to join their I Corps comrades in Iraq later in 2009.

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The U.S. Department of Labor is hosting a series of job fairs across the country – including 12 in Washington – as part of its HireVetsFirst initiative.

“The qualities America’s service members are known for – discipline, strong work ethic, leadership and technical skills – are highly valued by employers,” Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao said in a release. “These job fairs are part of our effort to help America’s service men and women transition back to civilian life when their tours of duty end and are an excellent opportunity for employers looking for great workers.”

Here are the dates, times and locations:

Saturday: Yakima Readiness Center, 2501 Airport Lane, Yakima, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Wednesday: AMVETS Post #1, 517 S. Tyler St., Tacoma, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Wednesday: Olympia National Guard Armory, 515 Eastside St., Olympia, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Nov. 6: Spokane WorkSource, East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone St., Spokane, 2-4:30 p.m.
Nov. 6: Walla Walla WorkSource, 1530 Stevens St., Walla Walla, 3-6 p.m.
Nov. 7: Lewis County WorkSource, 151 NE Hampe Way, Chehalis, noon-2:30 p.m.
Nov. 12: VFW Post 2995, 4330 148th Ave. N.E., Redmond, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Nov. 12: Cowlitz County WorkSource, Kelso, 9 a.m.-noon
Nov. 13: Best Western-Peppertree Omak Inn, 820 Koala Drive, Omak, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Nov. 13: NW Skagit WorkSource, 2005 East College Way, Mt. Vernon, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Nov. 13: Colville WorkSource, 956 S. Main, Suite B, Colville, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Nov. 13: WorkSource Vancouver, 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Do you know a solider who craves bean sprouts with his MRE? What about an airman who pines for something that grows on a pine tree come dinnertime? A Marine who won’t eat marine animals? A friend in the Navy who loves navy beans?

PETA’s looking for you.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals just launched its first Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier contest. (Despite the name, it’s actually open to all members of the armed forces who “are defending the country and animals at the same time.”)

Here’s the pitch from PETA:

“Why is going vegetarian a smart military maneuver? For one thing, vegetarians are, on average, fitter and trimmer than their meat-eating counterparts, so if soldiers want to be lean, mean fighting machines, the best thing that they can do is keep meat off their plates.”

The winner will be named on the organization’s blog and receive a “vegan goodie basket” full of cookies, chocolate, a PETA T-shirt and, puzzlingly, jerky.

Click here to nominate someone. You’ve got until Nov. 26.