Welcome Home

Honor guard members stand-by to start a welcome home ceremony for 138 Airmen who deployed over the last year to locations overseas. The families of the members who deployed and community leaders attended the ceremony held at the 185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), in Sioux City, IA., on May 3, 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Oscar Sanchez 185th ARW Wing Public Affairs/Released)

Welcome Home

Col. Lawrence Christensen, Commander of the Iowa Air Nation Guard’s 185th Air Refueling Wing, representatives for Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott, and various state and local officials welcomed home members of the unit, in Sioux City, IA., on May 2, 2015. The 138 Airmen had deployed overseas during the past year in support of federal missions. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Tech. Sgt. Oscar Sanchez 185th ARW Public Affairs/Released)

185th Airmen welcomed home

Published May 3, 2015
By Capt. Jeremy J. McClure
185th ARW Public Affairs

Sioux City, Iowa -- Unit members with the Iowa Air National Guard's 185th Air Refueling Wing that have deployed in the last year were welcomed home during a ceremony held at the base in Sioux City, Iowa on May 2, 2015.

The unit had 138 Airmen deploy to eight different locations throughout the world in support of federal missions.

"I am always amazed at your ability to come together, work as a team and accomplish the mission," said Col. Lawrence Christensen, commander of the 185th, while addressing the members of the unit who deployed.

The Airmen recognized had deployed for at least 30 days and many of them deployed to locations in southwest Asia.

Family of the Airmen, members of the community, and local community leaders attended the ceremony to welcome the Airmen home.

"We must take care of each other and our families in order to continue on with such success," said Christensen.

Because the Airmen deployed at different times and often in small groups, it is to have a ceremony for each deployment.

"We don't have the big ceremony and send off because we are constantly going and doing the job," said Senior Master Sgt. Ron Bennett, deployment manager for the 185th. "Instead we are in a constant state of deploying, coming home, and getting ready to do it again."