Soldiers return from Iraq, Afghanistan

Posted: Mar 8, 2011 12:03 AM by Jeannette Hynes
Updated: Mar 8, 2011 12:46 AM

Not one, not two, but three homecomings in six hours happened at Fort Carson Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The first homecoming welcomed 250 soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. These soldiers have spent the last 12 months in Iraq where they trained and worked with the Iraqi government, including its police and border patrol.

The second homecoming happened less than an hour later for the 43rd Sustainment Brigade Headquarters and 43rd Special Troops Battalion. An uncasing ceremony at the Special Events Center on the Mountain Post signifies all the soldiers from that group have returned to American soil. The 43rd Sustainment Brigade was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan. The 43rd Special Troops Battalion was part of that brigade. The brigade helped with many different tasks including performing emergency projects, delivering mail, and transporting supplies.

The Special Events Center was filled with friends, families, and signs. The tears (and hugs and kisses) soon followed as people caught sight of their favorite soldier.

The third homecoming on the Mountain Post will happen around 3:45 Tuesday morning. Fort Carson will welcome home 250 soldiers from the 3rd BCT, 4th ID who have been serving for the past year in Iraq helping the Iraqi army, police and border enforcement. The 3rd BCT also provided help for several infrastructure projects.