USAREUR R&R troops arrive
FRANKFURT—After spending months deployed supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, the first group of Europe-based soldiers are now enjoying 15 days of rest and recuperation leave. The first aircraft carrying 270 R&R soldiers arrived at Rhein-Main Air Base at 12:30 a.m. Sept. 26. Eighty of the troops belonged to United States Army, Europe units. One of them was Staff Sgt. Rommel Vargas from A Company, 1-37 Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division. Most of the soldiers had time before they left the theater, to call home and let their family know they were coming. Vargas chose to surprise his family. He is looking forward to surprising his son, who had just celebrated his birthday. “It is great to be home and spend some time with the family and decompress a little bit,” he said. “This is the best thing the Army has done for the deployed soldiers,” he added. “They do have a similar four-day program (in theater), but this is much better. It’s good for everyone. For the married soldiers, it’s the best thing you can give to them.” Vargas has not seen his family for five months. Some families have been separated even longer than that. It’s been nine months since Spec. Edna Pierce saw her husband Spec. Eric Pierce, and she was excited that he was able to come home. Both of the Pierce’s are assigned to the V Corps Headquarters Company. “I will have to work while he is home,” she said. “I think he’ll stay home and watch our cat. At first I didn’t want him to come home, but it’s worth it, even if it’s just for two weeks.” Pierce was also excited when he found out he was coming home. “It’s been a long, long nine months,” he said. “For the next two weeks I’m going to do some relaxing, hopefully not a lot of anything.”
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