PHOENIX (AZFamily) – Families, friends and state leaders gathered Saturday afternoon to welcome hundreds of brave men and women of the Arizona National Guard home.
More than 350 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment and the Bushmasters returned home after serving for more than a year at 17 locations in seven countries. Among them were the Bushmasters who were injured in a drone strike in Jordan earlier this year that killed three U.S. soldiers from Georgia.
Despite the attack, officials said the unit responded with exceptional professionalism and bravery thanks to its dedication and rigorous training.
“They were essentially in the Central Command area of the Middle East and South Asia, involved in law and order and security in the region,” said Maj. Gen. Kerry Muehlenbeck. “Their service is something that no one can take away from them. Once they’ve done it, it’s theirs forever, and they should be proud of that.”
Major General Muehlenbeck added that the soldiers’ differences helped them successfully accomplish their mission.
“That’s the beauty of the National Guard. We have so many drill-status soldiers who do a number of other things in their actual job and then can take advantage of that opportunity when they’re deployed. So it’s a great way to come together, use all of their skills to put everything together and then tackle whatever comes,” she explained.
Families waited anxiously with American flags, signs and flowers for their loved ones to arrive. One woman’s sign read, “I’ve waited 313 days for this moment.”
“It’s just a wave of emotion,” said Major General Muehlenbeck. “The signs are a great reminder that all of us in uniform cannot do anything we do without the support of our family members and our friends.”
Governor Katie Hobbs was also on hand to welcome the troops home and thank them for representing Arizona.
Captain Hyrum Byers said that during his first deployment with the battalion, he found it difficult to be separated from his growing family.
“My wife was pregnant during the deployment. It was a big challenge not being able to help her during the first few months of her pregnancy. That and also focusing on the very real mission we had there,” he explained. “It was good to be home; great to be back with my kids. This whole battalion did a great job. All of their families should be proud, proud of what they did, because they did a great job.”
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