Montana Air Guardsmen arrive home from Iraq

Montana Air Guardsmen arrive home from Iraq
By Eric Newhouse - Great Falls Tribune via Gannett News Service
Posted : Thursday May 1, 2008 17:05:50 EDT

“It’s great to be home,” exclaimed Staff Sgt. Scott Milburn, surrounded by dignitaries but looking for his family Wednesday after a 60-day deployment in Iraq.

First off the chartered jet, Milburn was among 73 members of the Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Fighter Wing who landed Wednesday in Great Falls. The rest of the nearly 200 deployed airmen, their plane delayed by mechanical problems, are scheduled to arrive Saturday from Balad Air Force Base just north of Baghdad.

“A commander’s mission is first to support the ground troops, followed closely by bringing all your troops home intact,” said Lt. Col. Mark T. Scharf, who headed the deployment. “We’ve done that, and it’s a good feeling.”

After the Boeing 757 touched down on Gore Hill, it sat on the tarmac for several minutes to allow time for Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s plane to land behind it. As several hundred family members waited, Schweitzer rushed to the receiving line to join Adjutant General Randy Mosley and Brig. Gen. John del Toro in welcoming the troops home.

“Well, the governor was here in the middle of the night to see us off, so we kind of expected to see him here again today,” Scharf said, adding that the late arrival was not a problem.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/05/web_gns_montana_guardreturn_050108w/