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Wright-Patt reservists return from deployment to Iraq

  • Published
  • By Capt. Caroline Wellman
  • 445th Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Family, friends and members of the Ohio Patriot Guard Riders gathered at the Dayton International Airport June 27 to welcome home 17 reservists from the 445th Security Forces Squadron.

The Airmen returned from a six-month deployment to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, where Air Force Reserve Command units have been providing most of the security forces for the installation, said Master Sgt. John Koehl, 445th SFS first sergeant.

Overall, the deployment was pain-free, according to Master Sgt. Bryan Cepluch, who was a squad leader while deployed.

"I think we all feel like we made a difference and that we're all glad to be back with our families," Sergeant Cepluch said. "It certainly makes you appreciate what the Army is doing even more. We were gone six months; they're doing a year."

The homecoming was especially sweet for Master Sgt. John Grice and Capt. David Moore, who had children born after they deployed.

Sergeant Grice's son, Ethan, is 4 months old. Captain Moore's daughter, Addison, was born a few days after he left for Iraq in December.

Many family members were happy to greet their loved ones because stand-still traffic on Interstate 70 threatened to cause some of them to miss the homecoming. As it turned out, a flight delay meant most families were able to reach the airport in advance of the returning Airmen.

"It feels better, it feels good," said Leslie Stout, wife of Staff Sgt. Timothy Stout, of having her husband back after months without him.

While deployed, the Airmen of the 445th SFS performed patrol duties and provided installation security during daily, 12-hour shifts.

They will remain on orders for more than a month in order to complete necessary in-processing and use leave they earned while activated.

The 445th Airlift Wing is a C-5 unit and has about 100 Airmen deployed at any given time. About three-fourths of them are in Iraq or Afghanistan. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)