Homestead reservists return from Iraq

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erik Hofmeyer
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Over 260 Airmen were greeted with a joyful homecoming reception Monday night as they returned from a deployment to Balad Air Base, Iraq.

The Airmen were bused from the flight line to the reception area where hundreds of family members, friends, elected officials and local media representatives awaited their arrival. Banners from previous 482nd FW overseas campaigns hung from the ceiling of Building 200, and food, balloons and signs added to the festive atmosphere.
Reservists formed into two parallel reception lines where they stood at the position of attention, ready for the returning servicemembers to pass through as they stepped off the buses and headed toward the welcome home party, while the song "We are the Champions" blared from the sound system.

Col. Randy Falcon, 482nd Fighter Wing commander, congratulated and welcomed the reservists home after the initial outpouring of emotion calmed, and said that the 93rd Fighter Squadron received glowing reports from overseas.

"It was fantastic," said Senior Master Sgt. Alan Simmons, 482nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron supervisor, when describing the homecoming. "It was quite a surprise."

This arrival of the main body of Airmen preceded the F-16s fighter jets, in which five pilots flying F-16 arrived Tuesday afternoon and five more returned Wednesday.

Some reservists have been in Iraq for as little as a month and others for as many as four months supporting U.S. and Coalition ground forces in Iraq. The Airmen represented the gamut of maintenance specialties needed to generate hundreds close air support and surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

"It was a very successful deployment," Sergeant Simmons said. "I volunteered knowing that we would greatly help our servicemembers on the ground."

The Airmen of the 482nd FW train year-round to ensure its personnel and equipment remain combat-ready, and able to deploy worldwide. Homestead reservists have supported: Operations Northern and Southern watch, patrolling no-fly zones over Iraq; Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle.