Family, Friends Welcome Home Members Of Oklahoma Air National Guard After Extended Stay In Middle East

Nearly 300 members of the 138th Fighter Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard are now home. After the 90-day deployment was extended a month, families say the homecoming was a long-awaited relief.

"I love you in the morning, in the afternoon, I love you in the evening, and underneath the moon," sings Staff Sergeant Logan Sadd sang to his three-year-old son Leo.

It’s been just the two of them for the last four months.

"It's definitely a lot of work for sure, it's not easy being a single parent while mom is on a deployment for sure," says Sadd.

Logan serves in the Oklahoma Air National Guard too and says his wife's absence left a hole in their family that was hard to fill.

"Well our son is autistic, so having to take him to speech and OT therapy by myself without my wife has been definitely makes me appreciate her being here," he says.

After waiting so long for Bre to come home, the clock ticks down, but the seconds inch by for Logan and the hundreds of other family members here on the tarmac.

"It's very exciting," says Logan's dad Jeff.

He can't help but feel the emotions of anticipation too.

"Ready for her to be home."

As the patience of everyone here is nearly pushed to the limit, relief finally flies in and brings with it precious cargo.

A warm embrace marks the end of Bre Sadd's long deployment away from family.

"We're home now, and that's what counts and for the holidays," says Staff Sergeant Bre Sadd. "First deployment, hadn't been away from him yet, from my son, wasn't sure how the reaction would be, but he's still holding my hand."

He's holding her hand, and hearing her familiar voice sing a comforting tune.