Fort Hood welcomes heroes

[TexasStooge]

By MIKE ZIENTEK / KHOU-TV

A cold reality of war that is often difficult for soldiers to handle is the fact that comrades die in the line of duty while others return home.

At Fort Hood Tuesday, there was a soldiers’ homecoming. Some 200 troops are back from serving more than a year in Iraq, but their thoughts are on family and friends they left in harms way.

The DJ played festive music, but if waiting is the hardest part for military families gathered at Fort Hood, the last thirty minutes were the toughest of the tough.

“They’re taking forever. We wish they would hurry,” said an anxious soldier's wife.

“I miss him a lot and I’m happy he is coming home,” said another excited spouse.

But soon, the long wait was finally finished.

Two hundred soldiers from the Army’s 1st Calvary Division marched toward the crowd, and agony turned to ecstasy.

Commander Adontis Atkins and the others had survived Iraq and made it into the arms of loved ones.

“When the day comes and it’s time for you to come home, you really cherish and you relish it, and you really appreciate what you left behind,” said Atkins.

“I can’t even put it into words,” said Serena, Commander Adontis Atkins’ wife. “It’s a really good feeling.”

Malinda Hicks came to the homecoming too, but not to see her husband.

Sergeant Gregory Hicks died in Iraq eight months ago, but that wasn’t going to keep his wife from welcoming back his brothers.

“They brought a piece of my husband back with them,” said Hicks. “Each one of them has a piece of my husband with them.”

The 1st Calvary Division has lost 59 soldiers so far during the war in Iraq. Many of them are still over seas and aren’t scheduled to come back until March of next year.

[pojo]

glad to see them home! We still have flight crews in Iraq. Hopefully soon, they too, will come home.

[sunny]

My nephew's squad leaves this week-end for western Baghdad.