Staff Sgt. Jason Williams clutched his infant son close to his chest Monday night on Fort Stewart’s Cottrell Field.
It was the second time Williams had seen the child since he was born.
“He was only two days old when I saw him last,” he said.
“Look at you. You’re getting so big,” he said, lifting his son in the air.
Williams and approximately 186 other soldiers assigned to the 135th Quartermaster Company, 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade and 3rd Infantry Division were reunited with their families after returning home from a 12-month deployment to Tallil, Iraq.
During their deployment, the primarily transportation and fueling company completed more than 500 support and supply missions.
“You moved more than 200,000 pounds of supplies … and did it all with great discipline,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Donahue said. “I want you to show that same great discipline as you are reunited with your families. I want you to have fun, but I want you to be safe.”
The men and women could hardly wait to be released from the field so they could embrace their loved ones.
Several flight delays had caused the unit to return home nearly a week later than originally scheduled.
At one point, some soldiers said they were stranded in Ireland due to issues with an aircraft.
“I am just so excited that he is finally here,” said Crystal Neal, wife of Staff Sgt. Charles Neal. “He has done a great job and I just hope that they are recognized for all of the hard work that they do.”
Williams said the delayed return kept him continuously anxious.
“I just couldn’t wait. The closer we got, the more it was like it was killing me. I couldn’t wait to see my son,” he said. “I just wanted to let him know that daddy has been doing his best to make sure that he is safe here.”
It was the second time Williams had seen the child since he was born.
“He was only two days old when I saw him last,” he said.
“Look at you. You’re getting so big,” he said, lifting his son in the air.
Williams and approximately 186 other soldiers assigned to the 135th Quartermaster Company, 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade and 3rd Infantry Division were reunited with their families after returning home from a 12-month deployment to Tallil, Iraq.
During their deployment, the primarily transportation and fueling company completed more than 500 support and supply missions.
“You moved more than 200,000 pounds of supplies … and did it all with great discipline,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Donahue said. “I want you to show that same great discipline as you are reunited with your families. I want you to have fun, but I want you to be safe.”
The men and women could hardly wait to be released from the field so they could embrace their loved ones.
Several flight delays had caused the unit to return home nearly a week later than originally scheduled.
At one point, some soldiers said they were stranded in Ireland due to issues with an aircraft.
“I am just so excited that he is finally here,” said Crystal Neal, wife of Staff Sgt. Charles Neal. “He has done a great job and I just hope that they are recognized for all of the hard work that they do.”
Williams said the delayed return kept him continuously anxious.
“I just couldn’t wait. The closer we got, the more it was like it was killing me. I couldn’t wait to see my son,” he said. “I just wanted to let him know that daddy has been doing his best to make sure that he is safe here.”