AFMC Command News

Hanscom welcomes home deployed members

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. C. Michaela Walrond
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Hundreds of base personnel, family and friends gathered at Memorial Park here June 22 to welcome home more than 60 Hanscom deployers.

It's part of a Heroes' Homecoming program that honors troops who have returned from deployments over the past six months.

"This ceremony is an awesome opportunity to recognize our great Airmen who have 'answered our Nation's call,' and to simply say 'thank you' for their selfless service and sacrifice," said Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Sirois, Electronic Systems Center and 66th Air Base Wing command chief master sergeant.

Returning members were bused to the park, which was filled with a crowd of cheering families and friends. The buses were escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders, a military support organization composed primarily of motorcycle riders.

Family members, including spouses and children, lined up just outside the park waving American flags and ushering the "heroes" into the center of the crowd.

Each deployed member, along with a military working dog named Cody, was individually recognized. They received a medallion for their dedicated service to this country from senior leaders.

"This event is an opportunity to thank our great Hanscom Airmen and their families for the sacrifices they have made -- to shake their hands and welcome them home," said Col. Tom Schluckebier, 66th ABW commander.

"It's important to recognize these men and women as the heroes that they are," Colonel Schluckebier said. "Many who deployed left the comfort of their homes to serve in dangerous locations, but they served bravely, knowing the importance of the mission and their vital role in fighting the Global War on Terror."

As part of the celebration, students from nearby Blanchard Middle School handed out bracelets they made to show their support for the troops as part of a national effort called Harm's Way 4 Kids. The school is in Westford, Mass.

Lt. Col. Edwin Daniel, 66th ABW Staff Judge Advocate, who recently returned from Southwest Asia, said that events like Heroes' Homecoming are important, because it recognizes those who have gone into harm's way.

During his deployment, Colonel Daniel acted as part of a servicing legal office for numerous Air Bases in Iraq. The colonel said the hardest part for him during his deployment was seeing the dead and injured in the medical facility where he was stationed.

"As a result of that experience, I have a greatly heightened respect for the military medical community and what they do for us," Colonel Daniel said. "I am in awe of our combat medical teams that serve our members in combat."

According to Tech Sgt. Len Arsenault, 66th Security Forces Squadron, one of the most important aspects of a deployment is knowing your family will be taken care of while you're gone.

I can't thank people like Master Sgt. Bob Laughlin, my first sergeant, enough for what he did for my family and what he does everyday for our deployed warriors," said Sergeant Arsenault, who returned from Southwest Asia where he provided direct combat support for Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.