Relieved family and friends joyously greeted over 250 US Army soldiers of the 598th Maintenance Company, and an advance force of the Third Brigade as they stepped off the plane at the post's Lawson Airfield, close to midnight on Wednesday.
Both units served 15-months in the Baghdad area. The advance troops will prepare for the main force of 3,000 troops, who are due back in several planeloads in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, over 160 soldiers of the 63rd Engineering Company are preparing for a similar combat tour in Iraq. Specialist Adam Wilson says he's grateful the army will look after his wife and children while he's gone:
"If she gets run down, or gets in a predicament, then hope is close by; that's a huge load of my shoulders to know that she's not alone."Wilson's unit is to leave on Sunday, and will serve 15-months.
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