the best part is bringing them home
here is a the story of a soldiers homecomming..the small little part i play is the best part of serving.......
bringing back for R&R
It was only 8 months ago but it feels like a life time already. I had already been stateside for a week before we were flown back to our state so I had gotten to talk to my family on the phone several times. I was told that our families would be meeting us at the unit because we'd be landing on the military side of the airport. My sister had fedex'd her cell phone to me in Colorado so I could call anyone I wanted at anytime, still such a novelty for me. Our plane landed at the small airport and we were loaded onto busses when the phone rang and my mom told me to look out the window at the fence line. My oldest daughter was there in the parking lot so I ran off the bus and kissed her through the chain link fence with tears in my eyes. My mom had brought both my daughters to the airport even if they could only see me through a fence. My baby girl was only 4 months old when I left last year so she was a little scared of mommy in all that gear but I held her through every stupid little formation and I wouldn't let go. The tears of joy were so different than my tears of last year. I don't honestly remember what happened after that, just lots of cuddling on the couch with my girls. Like DocMillerTime said, being a single parent is a whole different world. Your children are all you can think about and I am so thankful to be home with mine.
I got off the C-5 at Hunter Airfield, shook the Adjutant General's hand and chatted with him for a bit (there was only one chalk of us arriving at once, and the state TAG maintains a close relationship with our company). I went to a makeshift supply truck we had, cleared my weapon, turned it in, and walked into the hanger to be greeted by a US flag that had to be about 300 feet across. If you've ever seen the embarkation terminal at Hunter AAF, it spans the entire length of one of the short walls. The VFW and Red Cross and USO were there giving us food and stuff, but noone could eat. I took advantage of my first Krispy Kreme in almost 18 months, and literally ate the thing in one bite, then choked cause I tried swallowing it whole. After recovering from that little bout, we formed up and got on a bus. This whole time it hadn't hit me that I was home yet. We made the 30 minute drive from Hunter AAF to Ft. Stewart, and formed up outside the gym. We could hear the 3rd ID band playing and crowds of people cheering. We organized the chalk by company as best we could (were were a mix of 3 companys from the same battalion returning on 6 different flights) and formed up, then marched into the gym. We couldn't even hear the 1SG call mark-time---march, we just did it on our own. The TAG gave a brief speech, and then the battalion commander took the formation, and called for the Sergeant major. "Sergeant Major, POST! ......Sergeant Major, take charge of your chalk, dismiss your troops."....They saluted and the CSM did an about face. " Stand at, Ease! ........Welcome home, warriors. First formation will be at 0700 hours Monday. Battalion! (Company!). Attention! .....(there was a long pause, maybe 15 seconds)......DISMISSED!"
All hell broke loose. With a loud thunderous cry we all just broke ranks and ran into the bleachers to see our family. I found my mother in the stands and gave her a hug and didn't let go for 10 minutes. At some point in time that day I found all the other guys I was friendly with, and hugged their parents too. Hell, apparently I hugged a 1-star General, but I must have missed that. Anyway, we were dismissed for the weekend, so the first thing we did was drive back to Savannah, and I put my stuff down on the bed and did a crossword puzzle. Then I remember going downstairs in the hotel, still in my DCU's cause we didn't have any civies, and drinking the last year away.
I never really realized I was home until 2 weeks later when I went on vacation skiing in Utah...the same vacation I was trying to go on when I was activated and pulled off my plane to go to Iraq. I woke up to the sound of mortars firing, and explosions, and I rolled off my bed, searching frantically for my rifle and body armor. It was only then I realized that I was in the US, and the mortars were avalanche control. I couldn't stop shaking for nearly two days.
Hi Everyone
I feel that my experience was alot different than the ones I've read . I am an army reservist, most of the men in my unit were already on duty since 9-11, got about 90 days off and were activated for OIF. We spent 8 months in Baghdad and came home as 3 seperate groups. The first were the guys close to the 2 year mark then the rest of us came home.
We were broken into 2 groups and sent home on Military transports, not airline planes. Luckly we came home on Dec 24 and Dec 25. But we didn't get any fanfare when we landed. We got on a bus and luckly had people who got us out on a 4 day pass, on a bus by midnight. Those that left after my group got in anfd got their pass shortly after the got back.
We had to come back after pass so that we were out processed. When we got to our area we were escorted by fire trucks from every station that our soldiers were from. We had a speech from the general and then we were dismissed. Not alot of fanfare and we were lost in the shuffle. And even a year later there was not much support, but some of us keep in touch and help get through.
Thanks for having an open ear and mind.
Bakes
bringing back for R&R
It was only 8 months ago but it feels like a life time already. I had already been stateside for a week before we were flown back to our state so I had gotten to talk to my family on the phone several times. I was told that our families would be meeting us at the unit because we'd be landing on the military side of the airport. My sister had fedex'd her cell phone to me in Colorado so I could call anyone I wanted at anytime, still such a novelty for me. Our plane landed at the small airport and we were loaded onto busses when the phone rang and my mom told me to look out the window at the fence line. My oldest daughter was there in the parking lot so I ran off the bus and kissed her through the chain link fence with tears in my eyes. My mom had brought both my daughters to the airport even if they could only see me through a fence. My baby girl was only 4 months old when I left last year so she was a little scared of mommy in all that gear but I held her through every stupid little formation and I wouldn't let go. The tears of joy were so different than my tears of last year. I don't honestly remember what happened after that, just lots of cuddling on the couch with my girls. Like DocMillerTime said, being a single parent is a whole different world. Your children are all you can think about and I am so thankful to be home with mine.
I got off the C-5 at Hunter Airfield, shook the Adjutant General's hand and chatted with him for a bit (there was only one chalk of us arriving at once, and the state TAG maintains a close relationship with our company). I went to a makeshift supply truck we had, cleared my weapon, turned it in, and walked into the hanger to be greeted by a US flag that had to be about 300 feet across. If you've ever seen the embarkation terminal at Hunter AAF, it spans the entire length of one of the short walls. The VFW and Red Cross and USO were there giving us food and stuff, but noone could eat. I took advantage of my first Krispy Kreme in almost 18 months, and literally ate the thing in one bite, then choked cause I tried swallowing it whole. After recovering from that little bout, we formed up and got on a bus. This whole time it hadn't hit me that I was home yet. We made the 30 minute drive from Hunter AAF to Ft. Stewart, and formed up outside the gym. We could hear the 3rd ID band playing and crowds of people cheering. We organized the chalk by company as best we could (were were a mix of 3 companys from the same battalion returning on 6 different flights) and formed up, then marched into the gym. We couldn't even hear the 1SG call mark-time---march, we just did it on our own. The TAG gave a brief speech, and then the battalion commander took the formation, and called for the Sergeant major. "Sergeant Major, POST! ......Sergeant Major, take charge of your chalk, dismiss your troops."....They saluted and the CSM did an about face. " Stand at, Ease! ........Welcome home, warriors. First formation will be at 0700 hours Monday. Battalion! (Company!). Attention! .....(there was a long pause, maybe 15 seconds)......DISMISSED!"
All hell broke loose. With a loud thunderous cry we all just broke ranks and ran into the bleachers to see our family. I found my mother in the stands and gave her a hug and didn't let go for 10 minutes. At some point in time that day I found all the other guys I was friendly with, and hugged their parents too. Hell, apparently I hugged a 1-star General, but I must have missed that. Anyway, we were dismissed for the weekend, so the first thing we did was drive back to Savannah, and I put my stuff down on the bed and did a crossword puzzle. Then I remember going downstairs in the hotel, still in my DCU's cause we didn't have any civies, and drinking the last year away.
I never really realized I was home until 2 weeks later when I went on vacation skiing in Utah...the same vacation I was trying to go on when I was activated and pulled off my plane to go to Iraq. I woke up to the sound of mortars firing, and explosions, and I rolled off my bed, searching frantically for my rifle and body armor. It was only then I realized that I was in the US, and the mortars were avalanche control. I couldn't stop shaking for nearly two days.
Hi Everyone
I feel that my experience was alot different than the ones I've read . I am an army reservist, most of the men in my unit were already on duty since 9-11, got about 90 days off and were activated for OIF. We spent 8 months in Baghdad and came home as 3 seperate groups. The first were the guys close to the 2 year mark then the rest of us came home.
We were broken into 2 groups and sent home on Military transports, not airline planes. Luckly we came home on Dec 24 and Dec 25. But we didn't get any fanfare when we landed. We got on a bus and luckly had people who got us out on a 4 day pass, on a bus by midnight. Those that left after my group got in anfd got their pass shortly after the got back.
We had to come back after pass so that we were out processed. When we got to our area we were escorted by fire trucks from every station that our soldiers were from. We had a speech from the general and then we were dismissed. Not alot of fanfare and we were lost in the shuffle. And even a year later there was not much support, but some of us keep in touch and help get through.
Thanks for having an open ear and mind.
Bakes
posted by militarybrat at 10:45 PM
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