On the 11th anniversary of 9/11, exactly one year to the day from their departure, a welcome home ceremony took place for Kentucky National Guards' 176th Firefighting Team.
The ceremony was held at the Wendell H. Ford Training Center in Greenville, Kentucky where seven soldiers returned home from Afghanistan on Tuesday, and the reception from the locals was overwhelming.
Residents from all across Muhlenberg County welcomed home their troops on Tuesday. Home, a place that seemed foreign to some.
"Seeing so much sand and everything over there and mountains," said Ssg. Wesley Lafortune, the Fire Team Chief.
But the highlight of returning that all troops agree on was seeing family.
"It just feels great. Feels good to get home, see my son, and good to be back in America," said Firefighter Sgt. Aaron Watts.
Firefighter Spc. Matthew Stevens said, "It doesn't feel real yet. I think it's going to take a couple days to sink in I believe."
"Being away from family, you know, you call home or you go on the Internet. You see some of the things that they're doing, stuff like that, and hearing their voice and realizing you're missing out on a whole year of their growth that you'll never get back," Ssg. Lafortune said.
This 176th Firefighting team also known as Team 7, provided fire protection and emergency response for Marine Flight Operations.
General Joseph Richie says they were one of the smallest units in the army, but had unique missions because there aren't many firefighting units in the army.
"Their mission is dangerous," General Richie said.
"It wasn't too bad, us being firefighters. We were kind of a small unit," Spc. Stevens said.
The team also worked with local Afghan fire departments and helped with their training.
Ssg. Lafortune said, "They were sad to see us leave as well because we didn't have a replacement unit come in, so they were trying to work their own thing out and hopefully they're in safe hands."
Families wasted no time catching up on Tuesday, and say there are positive memories that 9/11 has brought them.
"No day can be more fitting for soldiers to come back from war. You can set aside all those bad memories," Gen. Richie said.
As all these soliders return home to their families, they say being deployed and returning on the same day makes this day that much more memorable in representing their country.
Flag flying high in Greenville, Ky to welcome home the 176th Engineer Firefighting Team.
