Savannah Air Guardsmen return from deployment By: Corey Dickstein | Savannah Morning News | www.savannahnow.com
The rumble of the massive, quad-propeller aircraft drowned out the cheers and applause from below as the C-130 approached the 165th Airlift Wing’s Savannah hangar early Friday afternoon.
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amily members and friends of the returning Georgia Air National Guardsmen clutched homemade signs and fought back tears as they watched the plane over the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Within minutes, about 30 airmen returning from Kuwait — where they staged airlift missions across the Middle East — were in their loved ones’ arms for the first time in four months. “I’m just glad to be home,” said Capt. Seth Adler, a navigator returning from his first deployment. “It’s been way too long.” The C-130 that arrived Friday was the first of three planeloads of 165th airmen. The second flight is expected to return to Savannah today and the third next week as the airlift wing completes its 11th deployment to the Middle East since 2001, in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The Georgia National Guard’s top general was among the dozens waiting to welcome back the returning troops. Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, Georgia’s adjutant general, applauded the 165th Airlift wing for achieving a stellar 97 percent
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success rate in their missions flying troops and cargo across the region, including into many forward operating bases directly supporting combat operations. “Nobody does it better,” Butterworth said of the unit. “I’m a little bit biased, but I can promise you that nobody does it better.” While Adler was met by family members, including his mother, sister and niece, Master Sgt. Chris Odom was greeted by a face he’d not seen in decades. Immediately after crossing through the restricted area on the tarmac, Odom threw his arms around Vona Goodman, who’d flown in from Tennessee to greet him. After both endured failed marriages, they found each other via the Internet while Odom was deployed. “After all these years, we reconnected,” Goodman said. “And here are, finally. All we’ve had were phone calls and texts, and Skype — thank God for Skype.” Odom, who didn’t show any signs of exhaustion even after the long, overseas flight, just smiled as he held Goodman. “This is great, wonderful; I feel so great right now,” he said. “Coming home’s good, but this — this is just even better.” Photos Courtesy of Savannah Now