101st CAB soldiers return on Christmas Eve - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

101st CAB soldiers return on Christmas Eve

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Hundreds of Fort Campbell soldiers arrived home on Christmas Eve, just in time to spend the holidays with family and friends after their deployment in Afghanistan was cut short.

The soldiers from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade were originally scheduled for a 15-month tour to that country, but their deployment was reduced to 12.

Col. James Richardson, the brigade commander, arrived home Wednesday with about 237 soldiers. He said the unit was prepared to stay the whole time, but no one had a problem leaving early.

Carol Thomas, mother of Sgt. Bert Thomas, said she had decorated his house for Christmas while he was gone and was excited to have him see it.

“I was really scared he wasn’t going to make it in time,” she said. “We got the turkey at home and even got a ham.”

Some family members had been waiting on the flight since Monday and stayed in hotels anxiously awaiting their return. Fort Campbell officials didn’t elaborate on why the flight was delayed.

Nakeisha Jackson said she’d been getting constant updates from her fiance, Joshua Dorsey, on when the flight was expected.

But after several delays, Jackson told Dorsey she didn’t want to know anything “until your feet are on the ground.”

Since October, about 11,000 soldiers have returned from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and many of them got to celebrate the holidays at home for the first time in two years.

Another 9,000 are still completing a tour in Afghanistan.