Heroes' Homecoming honors servicemembers' dedication, sacrifice

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. C. Michaela Walrond
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Hanscom AFB --  Hundreds of base personnel, family and friends gathered at Memorial Park here today to honor the service of more than 60 Hanscom deployers. 

The Heroes' Homecoming, held in conjunction with the base's annual Summer Bash event, formally welcomed home troops who have returned from their deployments within the last 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. 

To kick off the event, deployers were bused into the sunny 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 of the deployers, including spouses and children, lined up just outside the park waving American flags and ushering the "heroes" into the center of the crowd. 

As part of the ceremony, the deployers, including Military Working Dog Cody, were individually recognized and presented with a medallion by base leadership for their dedicated service to this country. 

"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, 66 ABW commander. 

"It's important to recognize these men and women as the heroes that they are. 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," he said. 

Among those present at the celebration to honor the troops were the Lexington and Concord-Carlisle High School cheerleaders, and students and faculty from the Blanchard Middle School in Westford, Mass. 

As part of the celebration, the students from 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. 

Heroes' Homecoming, emceed by radio talk show host and author Michael Graham, also featured performances by the Air Force Band of Liberty rock ensemble, Afterburner. 

Lt. Col. Edwin Daniel, 66 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. I am in awe of our combat medical teams that serve our members in combat." 

For one returned deployer, this event allowed the community to thank all who contribute daily to the Air Force mission. "In my line of work you're going to deploy and see things most people could only dream about or watch on cable. But for a great majority of the Air Force, they don't deploy forward as often and recognizing their contributions to the Air Expeditionary Force is important," said Tech Sgt. Len Arsenault, 66th Security Forces Squadron, who recently returned from Southwest Asia where he provided direct combat support for both Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. 

"One of the most important aspects of the deployment is knowing that while you're gone, your family will be taken care of. The Hanscom community does a fantastic job taking care of you're family while your away and I can't thank the likes of Master Sgt. Bob Laughlin, my first sergeant, enough for what he did for my family and what he does everyday for our deployed warriors," Sergeant Arsenault said. 

The "heroes" were not the only individuals beaming with pride. The families of the deployed Airmen were grateful to have their loved ones back home in the U.S. Lisa Carter, wife of Senior Master Sgt. Woodrow Carter, 66 SFS -- who recently returned from his deployment to Iraq -- said she was thrilled to have her husband back home. "When I have a bad day, I can come home and talk about it with him; it's such a big relief that he's home safe." 

With some servicemembers arriving home as recently as yesterday, many families took the opportunity to spend the remainder of the celebration with their loved ones, no longer having the worries that a deployment can bring.