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About 40 airmen with the Utah Air National Guard are back home after playing a critical role in the war on terror. Their job was to refuel coalition aircraft in the skies above Afghanistan.
Now, their mission has changed. It includes some relaxation and quality time with family.
Their deployment lasted only about two months, but as airmen, they deploy more frequently. Still, they say leaving home never gets easy.
As the plane with about 40 Utah airmen on board rolled in, families wait patiently.
Madison Petersen's brother was on board. "I'm so excited, I don't even know how excited I am," she said.
Lisa Jungemann, whose husband was returning, said, "I'm a little emotional today to just have him back."
Most of the airmen had only been gone for a couple of months, but for some loved ones here at home, it was scary.
Lori Petersen, whose son returned on the plane, said, "When you hear about different bombs and things that go off, I always check to see how close it is to him."
But everyone with the 151st Air Refueling Wing of the Utah Air National Guard is home safely.
Squadron Cmdr. Jon Jungemann told us he has some catching up to do. And Staff Sgt. Bruce Weaver said, "It's unbelievable. I've never had to leave her before, so this was pretty exciting to be back."
The airmen who returned today are part of a group of more than 130 Utah Air Guardsman and four aircraft. They were stationed at Manas Air Base located in the Kyrgyz Republic, a country not far from Afghanistan.
Squadron Cmdr. Jungemann said, "[Our] troops performed real well. We're really proud of our guys and gals over there. We're doing good work over there."
They flew KC-135s over Afghanistan, which are able to refuel coalition planes in mid-air. The airmen even broke several records, including the number of aircraft launched and the amount of fuel offloaded in a single day.
Tech. Sgt. Nick Thompson said, "[We] made sure that fighters and bombers had their fuel so the troops are safe."
It's something the airmen call a vital element in the global war on terror. But today, they were reminded of who they're fighting for.
Callie Jungemann, whose father returned, said, "I feel really grateful to know that he's over there helping our country, and that he can come home safely."
Other members of the Utah Air National Guard have either come home already or will come home in the next week or so. Most of them will enjoy at least six months off before another possible deployment.
E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com
