thedrifter
09-22-09, 07:55 AM
85 Marines Return Home From Iraq
Battalion Came Home Safely After 3rd Deployment
POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2009
UPDATED: 6:47 pm EDT September 21, 2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Loved ones cheered for some Marines as they lined up and waited for a reunion that's been seven months in the making.
Members of Bravo Company, 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion are now back at home with their families.
The 85 Marines came home to tears of joy after their third deployment to Iraq.
And for the third time, all the Marines who went off to war came home.
Family and friends had been counting down the days, waiting for their Marines to come home.
"I'm ecstatic," one relative said. "I cannot wait."
"It's amazing," one Marine said. "America is wonderful, and I get to see my family. I'm happy."
Sgt. Powers saw his daughter for the first time since he left. She was born just before his battalion was deployed in March.
"I got to see her for a weekend before I left," Powers said. "Now she's sitting up, smiling. It's amazing. It is awesome."
Carly Little was waiting for her boyfriend, Sgt. Collin McKinney, to return home.
The couple has been dating for five years, so she is used to him coming and going. She said it's still hard to watch him leave, but understands it is all part of the job.
"It's hard," Little said. "It's not fun to wake up every day and not be able to pick up the phone and call the person you love."
For the many families, this deployment was a little different.
McKinney was able to call his family through the Internet in his room.
Powers and his wife often used Skype, a webcam conferencing tool, to interact with each other and their baby girl Alexia.
"We've done pictures," Powers' wife, Stacy, said. "We've also done Skype where he has actually seen her on the webcam, which has helped tremendously, but it's still not the same."
McKinney said it's always hard to come back and readjust to civilian life after being away for so long. But he, like many of the soldiers, is looking forward to spending time with his family and friends.
"Definitely going to be watching some football and drinking a cold beer," Powers said.
Ellie
Battalion Came Home Safely After 3rd Deployment
POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2009
UPDATED: 6:47 pm EDT September 21, 2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Loved ones cheered for some Marines as they lined up and waited for a reunion that's been seven months in the making.
Members of Bravo Company, 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion are now back at home with their families.
The 85 Marines came home to tears of joy after their third deployment to Iraq.
And for the third time, all the Marines who went off to war came home.
Family and friends had been counting down the days, waiting for their Marines to come home.
"I'm ecstatic," one relative said. "I cannot wait."
"It's amazing," one Marine said. "America is wonderful, and I get to see my family. I'm happy."
Sgt. Powers saw his daughter for the first time since he left. She was born just before his battalion was deployed in March.
"I got to see her for a weekend before I left," Powers said. "Now she's sitting up, smiling. It's amazing. It is awesome."
Carly Little was waiting for her boyfriend, Sgt. Collin McKinney, to return home.
The couple has been dating for five years, so she is used to him coming and going. She said it's still hard to watch him leave, but understands it is all part of the job.
"It's hard," Little said. "It's not fun to wake up every day and not be able to pick up the phone and call the person you love."
For the many families, this deployment was a little different.
McKinney was able to call his family through the Internet in his room.
Powers and his wife often used Skype, a webcam conferencing tool, to interact with each other and their baby girl Alexia.
"We've done pictures," Powers' wife, Stacy, said. "We've also done Skype where he has actually seen her on the webcam, which has helped tremendously, but it's still not the same."
McKinney said it's always hard to come back and readjust to civilian life after being away for so long. But he, like many of the soldiers, is looking forward to spending time with his family and friends.
"Definitely going to be watching some football and drinking a cold beer," Powers said.
Ellie