Hundreds welcome home guard members

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(Andy Karr/Daily News)

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More than 500 people welcomed home Army National Guard members at homecoming ceremony Wednesday in Marshalltown with applause, cheers and a few tears.

About 30 soldiers form the 1168th and 1133rd Transportation Companies, including several Newton residents, returned to Central Iowa to a packed gymnasium at Marshalltown Community College, which filled to capacity with overjoyed family members. For many, it was nearly a year since they had seen their friends and family in uniform.

The guard members of the 1168th mobilized last fall along with the 1133rd Transportation Company, forming the 3368 Heavy Equipment Transportation Company. Following a send-off on Oct. 30, 2008, the group went to Fort Bliss, Texas, for training before deploying to Kuwait in December. The units separated into the Heavy Equipment Transportation Company and a Gun Truck Company and spent 10 months transporting equipment and supplies in the theater of operations. The two entities racked up more than 2.75 millions traveled during 312 missions.

Newton residents Sarah and Dave Blackett, of Newton, attended the ceremonies to welcome home not one but two of their children. Sgt. Chris Blackett, 23 and his sister Spc. Sarah Blackett, 21, deployed together and returned together Wednesday.

“I’m excited, glad it’s over, happy to be done traveling and ready to transition back,” Chris Blackett said. He noted how difficult it was to be separated from his family back home, though having his sister close by helped from time to time, even though the pair spent much of their time overseas apart as they focused on their own missions.

“We didn’t see much of each other. She was on a different clip doing a whole other thing than I was doing. So we’d run into each other every now and then,” Chris said. “It was nice having family over there, but it’s somebody else you’ve got to look out for.”

His sister, Sarah thought it helped

from time to time to have her brother nearby, even if contact was infrequent.

“I think I probably saw him eight times the whole time I was over there,” she said. “But when I really, really needed something, it helped.”

Knowing the siblings had each other to talk to or rely on in a pinch didn’t take away all the anxiety of having loved ones serve overseas, but it did offer some comfort to the siblings parents.

“That helped somewhat because there were times when they needed to talk to each other, which they did. and helped each other out,” their mother said.

Having their children back home brings a sense of overwhelming relief to their family, who greeted the pair with flowers and hugs at the homecoming.

“I’m just on cloud nine that they’re back home and safe,” mother Sarah said.

“As soon as we found out that they were back on U.S. soil, it’s like a big weight was off our backs,” Dave added.

Returning soldier and Newton resident Andy McKinney received a big hug from his niece Darian Morrison after the ceremony.

“I’m happy. I’m glad to be here. I’m glad its over and everyone came home safe. The separation was brutal but the mission was very successful,” he said, adding that he was looking forward to having a beer for the first time in a year.

McKinney’s wife Terri was thrilled to have her husband back home, even though it means she’ll find a few more dirty socks lying around from time to time. That’s a small price to pay to have her husband back home.

“Both our kids are grown and they moved out the same time he left. So the house is entirely empty. But I’m glad he’s home.”

Now its just a matter of settling back into life in Newton for the returning soldiers. Their families are more than eager to help them adjust.

“We’re proud of both them,” Sarah Blackett said. “They have given up to give to their country, and I hope now they can settle back into their real lives.”

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