FORT HOOD, Texas --1st Cavalry Division friends and family members lifted welcome home signs, American flags and division logos into the air as two white buses pulled up in front of Cooper's Field.
An advanced party of Soldiers from America's First Team arrived home after a year deployment in Afghanistan, April 6, on Cooper Field.
"It's time," said Nicole Vess, wife of Sgt. 1st Class Donald Vess, Headquarters 1st Cav. "We are very excited."
Also attending the ceremony was the United Services Organizations.
"We are providing coffee, sodas, snack and a smile to the spouses and friends of the returning Soldiers," said Marietta Groh and Kristi Brecheisen, USO volunteers. "We are really excited to see the Soldiers come home and we are loving the energy from the families."
After 'Living the Legend' successfully for a year, then passing on the legacy to the 1st Infantry Division, the division's Soldiers begin to come home.
Their mission of supporting Operation Enduring Freedom XII was the first time the division had deployed to Afghanistan.
While deployed the First Team was in charge of Regional Command-East and the 31,000 Coalition Forces Soldiers within it.
With the assistance of these Soldiers, the division was able to provide security, governance and development to the people of 14 Afghan provinces in RC-East.
This initial group of First Team Soldiers returning home marks a major milestone in 1st Cav. history; by supporting OEF XII in Afghanistan for their first time and being the first armored unit to do so.
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