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    Family Reunited in Camp Arifjan

    Family Reunited in Camp Arifjan

    Photo By Staff Sgt. Trevor Cullen | 1st Lieutenant Mitch Valenza stands with his mother, Major Julie Valenza, and brother,...... read more read more

    CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT

    03.24.2020

    Story by Sgt. Trevor Cullen 

    Task Force Spartan

    Maj. Julie Valenza, a physician assistant, with the 42 nd Infantry
    Division’s Surgeon Office, reunited with her eldest son after being apart for over 300 days.

    1st Lt. .Mitch Valenza, a Platoon Leader with the 82nd Airborne Division, was deployed to Afghanistan from July of 2019 to March 2020. On his way home to Fort Bragg, North Carolina he stopped in Kuwait and was able to see his mother Julie and his brother Andrew. Both are deployed to Kuwait supporting Task Force Spartan.

    “I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to see him while he was flying through the Middle East to get home,” said Julie. “I didn’t get my hopes up.”
    Currently with all the travel regulations put out by the Department of Defense it was unknown whether Mitch would be able to see his family here at Camp Arifjan.

    “Having both my sons here is freaking awesome,” said Julie. “It is a dream come true.”

    This tight knit family was able to spend time together at Camp Arifjan before Mitch heads back to the states.

    “It’s great to see them,” said Mitch while looking back and forth between his mother and his brother. “I missed them so much.”

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.24.2020
    Date Posted: 03.24.2020 04:48
    Story ID: 365758
    Location: CAMP ARIFJAN, KW

    Web Views: 448
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN