388th Fighter Wing and 419th Fighter Wing Airmen return

  • Published
  • By Andrea Houck
  • Team Hill Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  More than 200 Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing and 419th Fighter Wing received a warm welcome home April 23 after a seven-month deployment to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Family and friends gathered in the hangar together and anxiously awaited their loved ones return, who had been gone since September to maintain security and stability in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Nearly 30 Patriot Guard members held American flags and formed a passageway between the chartered airliner and the hangar where the families and friends lingered. As soon as the returning service members climbed down the plane's stairs, the flag bearers immediately became surrounded by the families rushing out to unite with them.

Hugs, kisses and many tears were shared throughout the emotional event.

"It's the best feeling in the world for a mother to see and hug her son after being gone so long," said a returning Airman's mother.

Col. Scott Long, 388th Fighter Wing commander, flew with many of these Airmen while he served in Afghanistan. He welcomed home and congratulated everyone in the 388th FW and 419th FW.

"I'm so glad to see our Airmen return home safely, and I'm proud of everything they did to support our coalition objectives and keep our planes safely in the air for six straight months," Long said.

Long also thanked all of the families for letting the Airmen so proudly serve.

Also welcoming home those deployed were local civic leaders including Mayor Steve Curtis and Peter Jenks, district director for Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah).

"On behalf of the city of Layton, we would like to welcome you home and thank you for supporting this great nation," said Curtis.

Reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing volunteered to serve alongside their active-duty counterparts from the 388th.

"I greatly appreciate the sacrifices of their families and their full-time civilian employers, who've been making do without them these past months, and who make it possible for our outstanding Airmen to deploy in support of our nation's efforts," said Col. Keith Knudson, 419th Fighter Wing commander.

This group followed a dozen F-16s, their pilots and 36 additional Airmen who returned to Hill on April 15. This was the 388th's third successful Operational Expedition Fighter deployment since 2009.