FORT LEE, Va. — More than two dozen soldiers from the 54th Quartermaster Company returned to Fort Lee Friday after a nine-month deployment to Southwest Asia.
Family and friends gathered this afternoon to welcome home the soldiers who had been serving in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates in support of various operations throughout the region.
"I got a lot of emotions going on, you know, I've been away from family for nine months. I'm excited. It's bittersweet because you do fall in love with the mission while you're down range and everything, so leaving the family that you made down range is always bittersweet as well, but I'm excited to be back," said First Lt. Larry Jacobs.
The homecoming marked the end of a long separation for many military families who have been counting down the days until their loved ones' return.
"It's grateful to see them, see the support that I got, and I'm just ready to be back and just be integrated back into the non-hostile environment," said Staff Sgt. Kadeem Hunter.
For some soldiers, the return means a welcome break.
"I'm just back home and I can just relax, no more deployment responsibilities for the foreseeable future," said Sgt. Anthony Moore.
The soldiers plan to take some leave to enjoy time with their loved ones before returning to their duties at Fort Lee.
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