By Capt. John Brimley
5th Armored Brigade, Division West Public Affairs
EL PASO, Texas – Soldiers from the 335th Signal Command (Theater) from East Point, Ga., arrived at Biggs Army Airfield here Sunday after a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan to cheers, hugs and handshakes.
Brig. Gen. Kaffia “Belle” Jones, 335th Signal Command (Theater) deputy commanding general, and her team lined the tarmac as unit members filed from the plane with grins as wide as the Nile River and squinted eyes to protect their pupils from the glowing Easter sun.
“Honestly, I’m really tired and exhausted,” said Master Sgt. Jimmy Robinson, of Birmingham, Ala., and the 335th SC (T) forward operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge. “I’m just glad to be back home.”
Not long after touching down at Biggs AAF, Jones greeted each of her Soldiers during the Welcome Home ceremony with either a Warrior-Citizen keepsake, the first-time deploying Soldiers, or a Certificate of Appreciation for the Soldiers who have deployed multiple times.
“It’s so great to see you back home,” said Jones. “I know just looking at you that you’ve had some great leaders and maintained the five pillars of strength: physically fit, socially intact, emotionally sound, spiritually focused, and fired up about family.”
The camaraderie amongst the Soldiers was evident in the constant cheers and jovial laughter shared throughout the ceremony.
“I’m excited to be home,” said Maj. Dan Sikes, of Starke, Fla., and command judge advocate general. “It was an awesome experience to serve with a group of truly great Americans.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2014 17:15 |
| Story ID: | 128474 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | STARKE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 335th Signal Command returns to American soil, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
