Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — About 175 men and women serving in Iraq for the past year arrived home Wednesday afternoon to waiting families, a live band and a water-canon salute that showered the chartered airliner that brought them home.
The group belongs to the Utah National Guard's 141st Military Intelligence Battalion, and has been at Ft. Lewis, Wash. for the past week before finishing the trip home.
"As soon as the plane touched down we were shouting and screaming — butterflies in the stomach and everything," said Sgt. Jeffrey Lambert.
His wife, Heather, was feeling much the same as she kept an eye on their small children, 4-year-old Jonathan and 16-month-old Allyson, just before the plane landed. "I'm a bundle of nerves. My stomach is, like, churning. I'm just so excited I can't wait to see him. The first thing I'm going to do when I see him is throw my arms around his neck and give him the biggest kiss ever."
"The homecomings are always better than the departures," said Utah National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Hank McIntire. "It's an exciting day for us."
Jared Ott and his two boys were waiting for his wife, Matilda. He described the past year as "very busy — very, very busy." Life at home in Herriman has been a juggling act of work, dinner and managing homework.
"Everybody's busy. Everybody's making a sacrifice. She's making a sacrifice; we're making a sacrifice at home. Everybody does their part. We're a family at war."
Some 275 soldiers initially deployed in June 2010. The mission was downsized after several weeks, and 30 soldiers returned home. Another 20 were redirected to Afghanistan, and they returned home this past weekend. Another 50 returned home in small groups during the past month.
"We're getting everybody home safely," McIntire said. "Iraq is still considered a combat zone. Don't let anybody kid you. It's still a very dangerous place."
The Utah National Guard's 222nd Field Artillery Battalion has 474 soldiers at a mobilization station in Indiana, but does not currently have any units in Iraq, though there may be Utah soldiers assigned there individually to support another military organization.
"We have units continuing to prepare to deploy," McIntire said. With the drawdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is still a constant need for Utah National Guard specialties."
Email:sfidel@ksl.com
