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Fort Drum, New York – Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) returned home from a nine-month deployment March 25 from a nine-month deployment to Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Kuwait. These soldiers exited the plane with an array of emotions in anticipation of seeing their loved ones.
For many of these Soldiers, the last nine months have consisted of phone, video calls or pictures from family members. Throughout military operations and trainings, they counted down the days until they would be home. These Soldiers are excited for different things in the next 48 hours being back on American soil.
Staff Sgt. Kjemal Toshieva explained how taking things for granted while overseas led her to having feelings of excitement to be back home.
“It feels good to be back home where all the familiarities are,” Toshieva said. “I’m more appreciative of things that I have now so it feels really good.”
Her next 48 hours being home will be busy seeing friends and family, getting her things out of storage, unpacking and running on a wave of adrenaline.
While some look forward to spending as much time as possible with their loved ones some like, 1st Sgt. Andrew Kulis, are ready to decompress and enjoy some well-deserved me time.
“I’m going to relax. I’m going to try to disconnect the batteries and really recharge,” Kulis said. “Just slowly ease back into what life is like back in America.”
Many Soldiers are looking forward to family and friends they have missed and even foods they have not been able to obtain in these long months deployed.
Above all, 1st Sgt. Kulis believes his Soldiers should focus on the basics.
“Go enjoy time with family and friends, be safe, be responsible,” Kulis said. “At the end of the day, you just have to relax. Just take the uniform off for a couple of days and relax.”
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| Date Taken: | 03.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2024 15:02 |
| Story ID: | 467247 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Time Well Spent: The First 48 Hours Home From Deployment, by SSG Brittany Washington, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
