Deployed Airmen Honored at Welcome Home Ceremony

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rich Murphy
  • 185th Public Affairs
Sioux City, IOWA --  Col. Ed Sauley, Commander of the 185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), along with a few esteemed community leaders, honored the many members of the 185th who have deployed in support of the war efforts over the past two years at the annual "Welcome Home Ceremony."

During the last two years, 285 airmen with the 185th have deployed in support of the Aero-Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) to locations throughout the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan. A majority of the members that deployed volunteered for their assignments.

Col. Sauley praised the airmen for their dedication over the past two years. "You do more than just deploy. You have deployed before, and, unless you plan on retiring soon, you will deploy again."

Congressman Steve King, Representative of Iowa's 5th District, attended the ceremony and gave praise to not only the Airmen but also their families. "Sometimes the stress on the home is just as hard as the stress of the deployed." Col. Sauley added, "I am proud of all the members of this unit. I am proud of the family members. And I am proud of the community. Without them, we could not be successful in our mission."

Each deployed member was presented with a certificate from the commander as a token of his appreciation for their willingness to deploy in support of AEF efforts.

"The current active duty forces cannot handle the growing responsibilities of the AEF by themselves. That is why you, the citizen soldier, are so important," said Col. Sauley.

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