FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- For Georgette Ray, 9:30 a.m. couldn't come fast enough. She and her four children sat in the bleachers in Magrath Gym on Friday, anxiously waiting to be reunited with her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Roderick Ray, after spending nine months apart.
Georgette Ray's daughters, Jasmine, 12, Naomi, 7, and Abigail, 5, sat with their handmade signs, barely containing their excitement, while she held Roderick Jr., 9 months, who was only 22 days old when his father deployed.
Meanwhile, Roderick Ray Sr. and 117 other Soldiers from 10th Sustainment Brigade stood in formation outside the gym doors.
"I'm very excited to see my kids and my wife," he said. "This is my fourth deployment."
He added that he stayed connected with his Family during the deployment through social media sites, email and telephone, but nothing was going to compare to being reunited face-to-face.
The Soldiers were greeted with a roar of applause and cheering as they marched into the gym.
After the national anthem, Brig. Gen. Michael L. Howard, acting senior commander, helped to welcome the 118 troops home. He also encouraged the Soldiers and their loved ones to spend quality time together, but reminded them to be safe.
The rest of the brigade will return to Fort Drum this week.
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