CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
The North American Airlines flight carrying more than 100 Airmen from the 17th Airlift Squadron touched down at Charleston AFB in the early afternoon Jan. 3.
The 17 AS returned from a 120-day deployment in the Middle East to a crowd filled with family and friends, who were all bundled up in their winter gear battling the cold temperatures to welcome their loved ones home.
As soon as the first Airman of the 17 AS stepped off the aircraft, the crowd cheered and clapped as everyone anxiously waited for their loved ones outside the passenger terminal.
One by one, the 17 AS began to empty out of the plane.
"I could spot him from a mile away," said Shannon Heiling, the wife of Capt. Brook Heiling.
"The kids and I are so excited to have daddy home safe and sound," said Suzie Williamson, the wife of Col. Richard Williamson, 17 AS commander.
Col. John Wood, the 437th Airlift Wing commander welcomed home the members of Team Charleston as they stepped off of the aircraft and onto Charleston soil.
Also on hand to welcome the squadron home were members of the South Carolina Patriot Guard Riders.
Many of the Airmen and their families are planning on taking a few weeks to spend time together and readjust to life at home.
"We will spend the first few days at home celebrating a late Christmas together," said Mrs. Heiling. "We then will travel to Virginia for a few days to celebrate a bigger Christmas with friends and family. We'll return back to Charleston and enjoy some more time together with just the two of us to orient back into life."
While deployed, the Airmen of the 17 AS served under the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and supported Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and the Horn of Africa.
The 17 AS Airmen flew 3,000 sorties and logged 7,000 combat hours in the C-17 and delivered 126 million pounds of cargo supporting OIF, OEF and HOA, said Colonel Williamson.
"What a huge success - during the four month deployment we flew more hours and carried more cargo to the warfighter than during the previous eight months of the year," he said. "The shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan was evident in our taskings as we moved personnel and equipment from one country to the other. Our biggest impact was in airdrop- we delivered more than 7.3 million pounds of food, fuel and water to some of the most remote areas of Afghanistan. We did this by airdropping supplies daily to the ground troops to keep them off the roadways and safe from the biggest danger in theater, Improvised Explosive Devices.
"I couldn't be more proud of the folks from my unit and other warriors from around Charleston AFB, that deployed to support us! Their pride, professionalism and passion to accomplish the mission was daunting- Great Job!"
For now the squadron will enjoy the next two weeks getting reacquainted with their families and then it will be back to work.