Video

Video by Staff Sgt. Wesley Jones

A Special Homecoming

117th Air Refueling Wing

Aug. 13, 2021 | 3:25

FRIENDS AND FAMILY HELD THEIR CAMERAS UP….ANXIOUSLY AWAITING TO GREET THEIR LOVED ONES.

MORE THAN 140 AIRMEN WALKED DOWN THE RAMP….THE FIRST PERSON THEY SEE? COMMAND CHIEF FALLON HOLDING A FIST BUMP FOR EVERY CREW MEMBER.

A BUS CARRIES THE AIRMEN TO THE PAX TERMINAL WHERE THEY ARE SAFELY SCREENED FOR COVID SYMPTOMS AND THEN FILLED OUT MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRES.

THEIR WIVES, HUSBANDS, GRANDPARENTS, AND CHILDREN WAITING IN THE BACKGROUND.

THEN FINALLY…THE MOMENT HAS THEY’D BEEN WAITING ON FOR 75 DAYS IS HERE.

ASHLEY SADDLER IS THE WIFE OF AVIATION MANAGEMENT MASTER SERGEANT CHARLES SADDLER

“It feels really good having him home. When he’s gone off course a piece of the family is gone but when he’s home it’s that comfort.”

ASHLEY KNOWS THE FEELING ALL TOO WELL THAT THESE FAMILIES WENT THROUGH TODAY AND IT WAS A SPECIAL TREAT FOR HER TO WATCH OTHER FAMILIES EMBRACE THEIR LOVED ONES JUST LIKE SHE DID.

“it’s awesome especially the ones that have little children that run to see their parents it’s awesome. I remember when ours was small enough to do it but they wanted to go to school today.”

SECOND LIEUTENANT MADELINE PUCKETT, ONE SEVENTEENTH AIR REFUELING WING INTEL OFFICER, SAYS MEMBERS FROM OUR BASE WORKED TOGETHER TO COMPLETE 50 SORTIES AND OFFLOADED TWO MILLION POUNDS OF FUEL TO RECEIVERS.

“and of course that doesn’t happen without all the back shop people like maintenance and everyone that works in ops, it’s not just the flyers that do so they can’t fly without everybody else so it was really a team effort and I don’t know if you know how much two million pounds of fuel is but it’s a lot.”

THE HEAT WAS NO DIFFERENT BACK HERE IN BIRMINGHAM, BUT IT WAS NO MATCH FOR THE DESIRE THESE FAMILIES HAD TO REJOIN THEIR LOVED ONES.

REPORTING FROM THE SUMPTER SMITH AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE I’M STAFF SERGEANT WES JONES.