Md. Soldiers Return Home From Afghanistan
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A group of soldiers is just back from a year in Afghanistan. Their official welcome home ceremony was Saturday.
Gigi Barnett has more on their long trip home.
Men and women of the Army's 313th Movement Control Battalion have finally made it home.
"We've been gone 13 months and 15 days," said Capt. Kate Weeks.
All of it was spent on the front lines in Afghanistan, heading up logistics operations. The to-do lists home are long.
"I'm probably going to spend time with my wife and daughter, also my brother," said Spc. Aerick Gomez.
"I'm going to the hairdresser," Weeks said.
But first, there's an official welcome home ceremony to attend. Even the family dog tagged along.
"They're home, and it's going to be so exciting for them to see their families," said Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
The battalion missed much while they were away.
"I was pregnant and then he came back for two weeks and he had to go back," said Lindsay Matthai.
Now Matthai's son is eight months old and her husband will have plenty of time to make up.
"We're going to go to the pumpkin patch with our little boy, and we're going to take a little weekend trip to New York City," she said.
"It's nice to see them rather than just talk to them or get an e-mail from them," said Steve Oravitz, a soldier's father. "I'm glad that they're back safely, and that's the most important thing."
The battalion has 42 members altogether, and some of them missed Saturday's ceremony. But that's OK because the Army gives them the option to go home instead.
The soldiers spent a few days at Fort Dix in New Jersey before the final stop in Maryland.
