Posted on 05/22/2004 2:48:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE - Two million miles of bad road. The distance of 80 trips around the earth in the sun-drenched, bomb-laden back country of Iraq, And they all came back.
The yellow ribbons fluttered in a light breeze. Clusters of red, white and blue balloons floated into the air above the flightline. And the troops arrived home from a year's duty in the desert on a chartered jet aptly named Champion Air.
From the Antelope Valley, from Riverside and Sacramento and from four points of a statewide compass, the 220 hometown troops of the California National Guard returned home.
Spc. Andrew Crawford of Lancaster and his wife, Karen, held one of the many "WELCOME-HOME" banners. Another handmade banner said simply "I LOVE YOU DADDY."
Sgt. Ritchie Faumina was hardly off the plane before he was covered in flowered garlands like those of his Polynesian warrior family line.
The troops came down the boarding ladder, each wearing a new pair of the same Desert Camouflage Utilities, or DCUs, in which they spent the last year.
Troops of the 1498th Transportation Company spent 365 days in tents or in cabs of trucks fashioned with makeshift armor.
"It was like 'Survivor,' " Spc. Thomas E. Thomas said. "If we could have, we would have been voting people out of the tent right and left."
Capt. Matthew R. Hook remembered another TV show when he recalled the last frantic weeks with heavy fighting around Fallujah.
"It was 'Gilligan's Island,' " Hook said. "A three-hour tour that didn't feel like it was ever going to end."
On Friday, the mission was over for a while. It was time for a last troop formation, and 1st Sgt. James Earl Norris kept a promise. With a few deft strokes, he shaved his trademark silver mustache. He promised he would cut it off in front of the troops if they all got home. "I'm glad I was able to keep that promise," the freshly shaven top sergeant said.
Hundreds of wives, husbands and parents crowded the flightline, their eyes wet with pride, and maybe a little smog.
"I don't mind smog," said Spc. Robert Liles of Tehachapi.
"On our freeways, you don't have IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," Craig Coniglio told his wife, Staff Sgt. Linda Freeman.
Sgt. Humberto Almeida of Palmdale, an older soldier, said he was proud of young soldiers like Milton Morataya and Patricia Van Gorden, both of Lancaster.
So ended this California National Guard company's longest weekend ever.
Welcome home, Troops! Job well done.
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