TRAFALGAR, Ind. - Approximately 110 Indiana Army National Guard soldiers assigned to the 1438th Transportation Company, headquartered in Franklin, Ind., returned to the Hoosier state Wednesday during a welcome home ceremony and were greeted by hundreds of family and friends at Indian Creek High School, just in time to celebrate the holidays.
Soldiers were first welcomed at the Indianapolis airport by senior leaders of the Indiana National Guard before boarding a bus to Trafalgar to be reunited with their families.
During the unit's 10-month deployment, they traveled to 18 bases and completed more than 135 missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with a task to provide convoy security escorts as the sole tactical logistics providers in Regional Command - Capital in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Joshua Sumner, Indianapolis, said the unit basically transported and supplied other outposts with logistical needs.
"Whatever the job was we did it, even last minute with no complaints. We were safe and efficient," he said.
Sgt. Kyla Sampsel, Camby, Ind., was greeted by her son, Memphis, and other family members. Sampsel was full of joy telling her family there are no words to express my feeling right now.
When asked what next, "I have 61 days of leave and I am spending every moment with him. Best Christmas present ever," she said.