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SALT LAKE CITY — Seven airmen from Hill Air Force Base are not only home for the holidays, they are home for good.
The group, which arrived at Salt Lake International Airport shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday, was greeted by family, friends and fellow airmen happy to see them.
The group arrived on U.S. soil Tuesday after leaving the Ali Air Base in Iraq on Saturday. They arrived in the U.S. with 55 other airmen, a handful of generals, and the 100 members of the U.S. Army on the very last C-17 flights out of the country.
Their departure from Iraq is a historic moment for the U.S. — as it comes two days after a ceremony in Baghdad marked the formal end of the U.S. military mission there.
"It didn't hit me until we were in Kuwait the next day, me and a couple guys were coming back from chow, and I was like, ‘wow I'm not in Iraq anymore," said Tech Sgt. Sean Hannah.
Master Sgt. Daniel Bosche was on the last plane. He was sent to the country six months ago to shut down all us operations there. He says it's a surreal feeling to know he won't be going back.
It didn't hit me until we were in Kuwait the next day, me and a couple guys were coming back from chow, and I was like, ‘wow I'm not in Iraq anymore.
–Tech Sgt. Sean Hannah
"It was really prideful," said Master Sgt. Daniel Bosche. "When it came down to it, it went really smoothly, like any other operation we conducted, but once we stepped on the aircraft it was amazing. It was surreal. (There is) no one left in Iraq. We were the last ones."
For Master Sgt. Margaret Williams, the feeling of being home is overwhelming. She says she didn't wear her uniform because of the amount of attention it brings.
"I feel a little nervous for the recognition," she said. "People thank me for the service wherever I go. It's overwhelming."
Her husband, Randall Williams, is glad to have her back. "Now it's off to retirement, but we'll make the best of it," he said.
The war cost nearly 4,500 American and well more than 100,000 Iraqi lives. About 32,000 Americans were wounded, and $800 billion was spent.
The war began before dawn on March 20, 2003, with an airstrike in southern Baghdad where Saddam Hussein was believed to be hiding. It marked the opening shot of the famed "shock and awe" bombardment.
The U.S. plans to keep a robust diplomatic presence in Iraq, hoping to foster a lasting relationship with the nation and maintain a strong military force in the region.
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Written by Shara Park with contributions from the Associated Press.
