Mothers cried and children squealed with delight as a company of US troops arrived back from Iraq on Saturday, after a year-long tour marked by desert heat and monotony.
A crowd of families roared as 124 soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, arrived marching in formation, part of a wave of homecomings as US President Barack Obama scales back the US role in Iraq.
The welcoming ceremony at Fort Myer, outside Washington, was a joyous event for the soldiers and their loved ones after 12 months of separation, even if the legacy of the US invasion of Iraq remains a subject of bitter debate at home and abroad.
“It has been a very long year,” said a tearful Charlotte Thompson, whose 25-year-old son had volunteered for the Iraq assignment.
The unit spent most of its time guarding a prison with about 300 Iraqi detainees in Taji, and carried out combat patrols as well, officers said.
The troops’ work in Iraq was a long way from their customary job as part a regiment known as “the Old Guard” in the US capital, where they perform ceremonial duties at funerals, visits by foreign dignitaries and other official events.
Specialist Charles Thompson said he was braced for a culture shock as he would soon be marching in honor cordons at the Pentagon and the White House.
“It’s really a big change,” he said. “I could do without the ceremonial stuff.”
The company returned without any casualties, in a war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 US troops and with roughly 50,000 forces still on the ground facing lethal threats.
Thompson said he got used to the intense heat in Iraq, but the work was “kind of boring at some points,” with troops playing basketball or video games to ease the monotony.
After spending the weekend with his family, Thompson will be returning to duty at Fort Myer, but said he was looking forward to a 30-day leave coming up soon.
He said he would head back home to northeastern Kentucky and “go fishing.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for about 365 days,” he said.
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