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Grissom Airmen return from deployment, celebrate belated holidays

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Oh there's no place like home for the holidays, and that never rang truer than for a group of Grissom Airmen fresh off their jets from a recent deployment. 

Two KC-135R Stratotanker crews flew in formation over Grissom before touching down on Hoosier ground Jan. 5 after spending over two months on a deployment to Southwest Asia.

"The two crews deployed during a plus-up for Operation Unified Protector and to help support Operation Enduring Freedom," explained Col. Christopher Amend, 434th Operations Group commander.

The pilots and boom operators not only missed out on their traditional New Year's celebrations, they missed spending the entire holiday season with their families while assigned to the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.

Despite this, the Airmen said they focused on the mission and were proud to make a difference around the world.

"We flew the last day of Operation New Dawn, so it was cool to be there, hear all the different radio calls and see all that," said 1st Lt. Jessica Hodson, 74th Air Refueling Squadron pilot. "It was the first time I actually felt like I was out doing something to support the cause."

Amend said he was also proud of the Airmen he initially deployed while he was in charge of mobilizations for Air Force Reserve Command's Force Generation Center and who he welcomed back as the new 434th OG commander.

"They stepped up, deployed, and accomplished the mission, and we're so glad to have them back home for the new year with their families," he added.

The Airmen also said they were glad to be home so close to the holidays.

"It was rough being gone over the holidays, but that's what we signed up for, hoping it wouldn't ever happen," said Maj. Billy Werth, 72nd Air Refueling Squadron pilot.

But, these Airmen aren't going to let anything get in the way of their holiday cheer.

"Most of us are meeting up with our families and doing something," explained Hodson. "We'll do Thanksgiving slash Christmas slash New Years all at once."

Now that she's home, not only will the lieutenant celebrate the holidays with her family in Nashville, she will also celebrate a very special birthday.

"We left on my birthday, so I was pretty excited about that," she said before going on to talk about spending her birthday evening in England during a planned stop at RAF Mildenhall.

"Everyone was asking how my birthday was, and I just said I had to spend it in England, so it was rough," Hodson joked.

But, in the end, there is no place like home for the holidays. No matter how far away they roamed, these Grissom Airmen were definitely glad to be home sweet home.

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in AFRC.

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