National Guard Members Return Home After Year Overseas

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard are back home after spending nearly a year overseas.

The returning troops from the 2120th Engineer Company were greeted at the Air National Guard Base. During their time overseas these men and women missed multiple holidays and family celebrations. 

Ever since he's been gone, Rilee Williams has wanted her husband to come home. She's been counting down the days.

“He has been deployed for 370 days today, and we get to see him,” Sgt. Wesley Williams was one of about 100 Oklahoma National Guard members who traveled to the Middle East for the past year. For this young family, it was their first deployment.  “I’m proud of him, I support our troops and I’m thankful they get to come home,” said Williams.

Loved ones eagerly waited with their welcome home signs in hand, ready to bring their family member home. It's a toll not only spouses take, but kids and parents as well.

“I’m very excited that he’s coming home. That’s he’s safe. I’m proud of him. Very proud,” Said mother-in-law Nathalee Reed

Warm embraces filled the room at the Broken Arrow Armed Forces Reserve Center.  Sgt. Williams was happy to see his baby girls. 

“I couldn’t have done it without the support back home and it makes serving my country so much more prideful this time because I have a family,” said Sgt. Williams.

While it is difficult to be separated, the work they did, including vertical engineering operations and project planning, made it worth it.

“There was sometimes where I was alone. There were times that I did a lot of traveling during the deployment, and I kept getting on planes but no plane ride was sweeter until the one I got on today to come here.”

Although some members of the group were gone for over a year, they said it surprisingly seemed to go by fast. The next group of soldiers will arrive in Broken Arrow at 7:30 Thursday.