INDIANAPOLIS - Nine Indiana National Guard soldiers with the 5-19th Agribusiness Development Team touched down at the Indianapolis International Airport, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, after a yearlong deployment to the Khost province of Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
These soldiers continued to expand upon the knowledge of previous teams, expanding Afghan knowledge and practices of agriculture, forestry, and engineering techniques to increase agribusiness.
“They’ve done a great job, all of them,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Osburn, commander, 81st Troop Command. “We’re glad to have these guys home.”
Returning home from deployment, many soldiers have definitive goals for the first thing they would like to do once they are back with their families. For some, it’s a favorite cheeseburger they would like to eat.
For some, a family vacation is in order. Master Sgt. Sharon Stevens, operations noncommissioned officer for the ADT, had something else in mind.
“I want to get a manicure and a pedicure,” said Stevens without hesitation.
No matter the aspirations for the immediate future, it was all smiles on the faces of each soldier returning home with the ADT; smiles made that much wider by the warm welcomes and warmer embraces from family and friends.