Area Guardsmen happy to be home after a year of duty in Iraq

They were waiting patiently for the return of some 140 soldiers of the Kansas National Guard's 287th Sustainment Brigade, who had been serving in Iraq for the past year. About 75 members of the Hays-based 287th Special Troop Battalion, which is part of the brigade, were welcomed home this past Thursday.

More specifically, the Murdocks were waiting for Dad -- Lt. Col. Roger Murdock -- whom they hadn't seen in a year.

But Jacob, 13, said Dad had kept in touch with the family, which lives in Wichita where the brigade is headquartered.

"He'd call us, most of the time," Jacob said. "But it was usually when we were in school, except on weekends. He'd usually call about noon on Saturday."

During those short phone conversations, Jacob said, "We'd talk about how we were doing in school, sports, how our life is going and things like that.

"He couldn't really tell me much about what he was doing -- it was against the rules."

Jacob said they planned to welcome their dad home with a cake but didn't have any specific plans after that.

"Tomorrow, we have to go back to school," Jacob said.

Eventually -- after the crowd erupted in cheers to a couple of false alarms as other large aircraft landed -- the Miami Air 737-800 touched down and taxied to the hangar.

There were more cheers -- and more waiting -- as the plane's door opened, and the soldiers streamed out. The aircraft was about 30 minutes earlier than announced a few days ago, so the final ceremony was delayed to give families time to arrive.

The soldiers had already been back in the United States for several days, staying in Wisconsin and preparing to rejoin their families.

As they stood in formation outside the hangar, many soldiers pulled digital cameras from their packs, snapping photos of each other, the hangar, and the Patriot Guard members lining the entrance, carrying flags.

The soldiers then filed into the hangar for one last formation.

Seeing Dad

"There he is! Right there! He's waving to us!" screamed Hayley Mounts, 11, of Abilene, when she saw her father, Sgt. Richard Mounts, pass by just yards away.

She and her stepbrother, Jace Hett, 10, of Lehigh, were pressed against the rope in the corner closest to the hangar door where the soldiers were walking in.

"We talked to him every Sunday," Hayley said, trying to keep track of where her father ended up in the block of soldiers.

When the ropes were lowered, Jace and Hayley and the rest of the family rushed to where Mounts had been, somehow missing him in the crowd, and then finding him near where they'd been waiting.

"He said one of the first things he wants is a Big Mac, so that's what we're going to do," said Tristan Hett, 12, after getting a big hug from his stepfather.

Within a few days, Tristan said, he wants to take Mounts out with several friends who "play Army" around Lehigh, "and kick his butt."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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Lighten Up says....
Welcome Home!!!! If you can read the article, thank a teacher. If it's in English, thank a soldier!!!
9/30/2009

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