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On this anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, Utah airmen and soldiers returned from deployments in Afghanistan.
For the troops who fight against terrorism, this day will always call for reflection. For their families, this was a day of happy reunion.
It was an exciting day for military families at the airport who eagerly awaited their airmen to land. We went there to cover the return of airmen from Hill Air Force Base and ran into Utah National Guardsmen coming home, too.
Tech. Sgt. Christopher Schultz couldn't wait to get home from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and see his wife and children. "I haven't seen him for about five or six months," he said.
This was his eighth deployment. It certainly never gets easier. For this family, it was tougher.
Christopher's wife, Melissa Schultz, said, "It was just by far the hardest, seeing the kids missing their dad. I'm grown. I can work with it. Seeing the kids missing their dad has been the hardest thing."
Eleven airmen from the 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 75th Mission Support Group came home. They spent more than four months in Afghanistan refueling planes, running supplies and getting airmen to and from the base.
A large group from the 75th Air Base Wing greeted the returning airmen.
Wing Commander, Col. Linda Medler, said, "It's so important that they know we have been behind the scenes supporting them, their families during their deployment. And what a happy day, Sept. 11. It's significant. It's emotional, and we're happy to have them home safely."
They also helped welcomed home soldiers from the Utah National Guard, who were also deployed to Afghanistan and who got in at the same time.
Maj. Tyler Craner is home on leave among 300 Utah National Guardsmen currently stationed at Bagram. As he flew home, he thought about the significance of the day.
"It just adds more meaning to what we do," he said.
Eight hundred airmen from Hill remain deployed around the world. Four hundred from 388th Fighter Wing will come home in October. Details on that homecoming are still to come.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
E-mail: rjeppesen@ksl.com
