Thursday, December 22, 2011

300 Fort Knox soldiers home in time for the holidays

SLIDESHOW: 300 Fort Knox soldiers home in time for the holidays


Posted: Dec 21, 2011
By Katie Delaune


FORT KNOX, Ky (WDRB) -- If you want to make an auditorium full of soldiers' family very anxious, make them wait as a black curtain slowly reveals 300 faces returning from a year long deployment.

Olivia Hunter has one word for it, "Excitement." This is her husband's 3rd deployment and today is their 13th anniversary. "Can't wait to see him," she says. "I know their behind this big black curtain. It's going to be the best Christmas gift ever."

After 365 days deployed and traveling thousands of miles, these last few minutes are agonizing as soldiers and families stand just feet away. "I'm probably going to run like a crazy woman and probably knock him over," says Nicky Petulla. This is her first deployment experience with husband Jason. She along with the other wives and husbands pack the stands searching among the saluting camouflaged soldiers for their familiar face. Then the soldiers are dismissed and hundreds run into each other's arms.

Nicky didn't quite knock over her husband Jason, instead hugging him tightly before going in for the first of many kisses to come. "Amazing, amazing," she says later with a big smile. "Never go to let him go."

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division spent a year in Afghanistan helping the country's security forces, each soldier always mindful of what they were missing back home.
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