Photo By Sgt. Brian Glass | Soldiers and families of 3rd Battalion 27th Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS) are back...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - As the old expression goes, “There is always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” For families and friends of Bravo Battery, 3rd Battalion 27th Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS), their pot of gold came when their loved ones returned from a nine-month deployment and had a re-deployment ceremony Nov. 4 at green ramp on Pope Army Airfield.
Deployments are always tough, from missing family events to being away from loved ones. For Sarah Stockton, wife of B. Btry Commander Capt. Nathan Stockton, having their first child without him there was tough, but she is happy to have him home now.
“It’s been an adjustment, our baby is five weeks old so he is coming home to a brand new baby. It was hard but we were pretty fortunate though. We are able to have a phone and he got to hear her first cry when she was born and that was pretty special.”
With the internet availability being difficult at best in Afghanistan, it was hard but the Stockton family did their best with Skype calls and pictures.
Along with the Stocktons, the family of Sgt. Josh Matthews felt the range of emotions having their loved one away for the first time in a combat zone for so long.
They keep their heads up while he was gone, knowing he was going through a lot defending the country overseas.
“It was very hard, we’re a close family and it was hard to have him overseas where we couldn’t talk or see him a whole lot,” said Robert Matthews, Josh Matthews' father.
“It was very difficult at times and we’re very proud of him. This is our first adventure as a family going through this and we are really speechless right now.”
When asked what she thinks and what she would do, his sister Rachael became very excited, waiting for her brother.
“I can’t wait,” said Rachel. “I’ll hug him to death.”
The pride felt by the Matthews family has been enough to help carry them through these past nine months. Now that they have their son with them again, they feel at peace once again.
“Probably going to cry for the first time in a long time, I don’t know the emotions that I’m feelings, I don’t know how to control them or what to say."
The Matthews family reflected on his military career thinking about how far Josh has come along in such a short time.
“It was hard for us when he came home from college saying he’s leaving college to join the Army and this is the decision that he has made. We support him whole-heartedly, this is a journey we didn’t think we’d be on but this is what he wants in life so we’re there to support him, very proud of him for making that choice.”
For the Matthews and the Stockton family, like the rest of the B. Btry 3-27 family, found their pot of gold once again.
“I’m really excited, it’s like Christmas coming early,” said Sarah. “They’ve had a long deployment, they’ve done great things and I can’t wait to have them all home, a lot of families are waiting.”
Now, with everyone from B. Btry back from their long deployment, the soldiers and families of 18th Fires Brigade are back together again.
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2013 15:26 |
| Story ID: | 116323 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 391 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers return to welcoming families and loved ones, by SGT Brian Glass, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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