Joyous Homecoming For National Guard Soldiers In Braintree
BRAINTREE (CBS) - A celebration was held Monday for National Guard soldiers and their families.
Around 120 members of the of the Massachusetts National Guard's 182nd Infantry Charlie Company just returned home from Afghanistan.
The soldiers provided security to each of the 12 provincial reconstruction teams throughout Afghanistan, and it was a very dangerous mission.
Congressman Stephen Lynch said, "It is a miracle, it is a blessing that all of the 182nd came home."
This was First Sgt. Jim Erickston's fourth deployment since 2001. Today he got to hold his son Jimmy.
"It's tremendously hard," he said holding his son. "He's going to be six next month. In his life I've been home for two birthdays and two Christmases, the rest of the time I've been gone."
Most of these soldiers have been gone for more than a year, and it hasn't been their first deployment. The most important thing now is spending time with family and getting acclimated to things back home.
