By David Hedges, Publisher
www.thetimesrecord.net
The National Guard is coming home. Members of the 821st Engineering Co. from the Spencer Armory actually arrived back in the U.S. around 9 a.m. Monday, when a commercial airliner that transported them from Kuwait touched down in Bangor, Maine.
"It's a big relief to have them back on U.S. soil," Art Boggs, president of the Family Readiness Group for the Spencer Armory, said.
"I was pretty anxious waiting for the phone call," Boggs said. "The last we heard from them was before they left Kuwait."
Shortly after arriving in Maine, the soldiers were flown to their current location at Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin.
Boggs said they would be coming home as early as this weekend. They are expected to arrive at the Air National Guard base at Yeager Airport in Charleston as early as this Saturday or as late as Monday. They will be released to their families at that point.
The last time the local unit was deployed was in February 2003. When they returned in April 2004, well-wishers lined the streets of Spencer as two chartered buses brought the soldiers home from Ft. Bragg, N.C. They met their families at the Spencer armory.
Boggs said there won't be a big welcome home celebration in Spencer this time since the soldiers will be leaving Charleston on their own.
Boggs said about 15 of the 52 soldiers are from Roane County, and about that many are from Calhoun, The rest are from Gilmer, Braxton, Wirt and other area counties.
"We would like people to put up signs or banners, just to let them know they are welcome home and we support them,'" Boggs said. "I imagine a lot of the ones from Roane County will be coming up (U.S.) 119."
Boggs said the Family Readiness Group is planning a celebration when the soldiers return to drill, which won't be for another 90 days.
"A lot of them probably won't want to come to the armory until they have to, but we want to have a dinner for them as soon as we can," he said. "It's just good to have them back."
The guard was activated last July and left for Ft. McCoy on July 21. They arrived in Iraq in late September and were stationed at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad.
The local unit did not sustain any casualties during their deployment.
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