FORT RUCKER, Ala. (Oct. 16, 2015) -- Tears and cheers greeted 11 Soldiers as they returned to their families on Fort Rucker Oct. 10 after a nine-month deployment.
Soldiers of the 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group were greeted by their families, friends and co-workers during a redeployment ceremony at the Spiritual Life Center after their return from a deployment to regions in Afghanistan and Iraq where they supported other units with their maintenance expertise, according to Col. Douglas C. Van Weelden, 164th TAOG commander.
"Nine months ago, I told these guys that they were going to go forward and spend those nine months making a difference, making an impact, and they did that in spades," said the commander during the ceremony. "They had to travel in and out of Afghanistan, Iraq and other nations doing anything from assisting other nations with their expertise and knowledge to setting up airfields that were previously closed, and the list goes on and on. My hat's off to you -- you made a difference, you made an impact and I thank you very much for that."
Van Weelden also thanked the families for standing by their service members and supporting them through the deployment, which to him is one of the hardest jobs to do.
"You are the ones who had to bear the real heavy burdens of our defense to our nation," he said. "We all go and do what we've been trained to do and this is our expectation of the job that we have, and you all went along for the ride because you love these people. That's a tough burden and it's a debt that we can never repay to you, but we want to thank you so very much for that."
That tough burden is something that Trina Shaw, mother of Pvt. 1st Class Marcus Heckstall, supply NCO for the 164th TAOG, 597 Maintenance Detachment, had to endure, and she said she's glad it's over with.
"It's just so emotional to have him back," she said. "Just seeing him in person and to see that he's healthy and see that he's OK, I just broke down. I'm so proud of him. It's been a long nine months and I'm glad that he went over there to help his country, but I'm glad he's back home."
During the months apart, Shaw said she and her son would video chat in order to keep in touch with one another, but the time difference made it difficult for them to catch each other.
"I'm from Florida, so when I'm getting up in the morning, he'd just be going to sleep, but we'd try," she said. "On the weekends, I'd try to get up a little early to catch him before he'd go to sleep."
For Shaw, being apart from her son was the toughest part of the deployment, but for Heckstall, taking on a whole new set of responsibilities while being apart from his families was the hardest part.
Heckstall, who was in charge of the property book items, making sure all the gear that was sent with them made it back with them and closing accounts, said he found himself in a higher position of responsibility during the deployment.
"I actually got to do my job and learn on the job first hand," he said. "Rather than being the person that was being told what to do, I was the person that was supposed to know what to do. The transition of being the person in charge was the hardest part, but after a while I got it down. It was a great experience and great opportunity."
For Spc. Taylor Morris, 164th TAOG, air traffic control maintenance tech., the most difficult part for him was having to live in such close quarters with his fellow Soldiers.
"The hardest part for me was probably living with roommates because you have no privacy," he said. "You have to learn to live really close with people, but other than that it wasn't really that bad."
Morris said his main priority now is to get back home to his newborn son, who was born during the deployment.
"I have a new baby boy who was born while I was gone and I haven't met him yet, but I'm really excited and nervous to meet him for the first time," he said.
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