National Guard unit members welcomed home

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A one-year deployment to Afghanistan is over for some local soldiers who returned to Mobile Wednesday, October 31.

The waiting came to an end when eight members from the Alabama National Guard 115th Expeditionary Signal Battalion arrived at Mobile Regional Airport. They were greeted with lots of hugs and kisses.

Kellie Andrews said she didn't slept all week waiting for her daughter's return.

"Everything you see on the news you know, I just panic. You hear so much going on in Afghanistan and all you can do is pray your little girl comes home," Andrews said.

"I was deployed for a full year, so it's definitely the longest time I've ever been away from home," Specialist Samatha Andrews said.

Samatha Andrews was able to keep in touch with her family via the internet, but it was a luxury not every soldier had.

"Not all the soldiers were as lucky to have a constant internet connection like the main bases were like I was stationed at. So, it gets really tough for a lot of the soldiers trying to contact their families back home," she said.

Andrew Spafford and Eric Snellgrove both returned home to five-month-olds they hadn't seen since birth.

"Coming back is probably the hardest part. Because you've got to get caught up on a whole year," Snellgrove said.

Specialist Ellius Davis is also ready to get back with loved ones.

"Real happy to be back home. I grew up in this town, and I'm happy to come back to it, and I'm just ready to see my family," Davis said.

Most of the  members of the 115th flew into Huntsville. Kellie Andrews said that was where the big celebration took place.

"They're getting the balloons and the bands to welcome all the soldiers home, and that's wonderful. But, the few soldiers that are based out of Mobile were lucky enough to get to fly into Mobile so families didn't have to make that drive," she said.

The Mobile homecoming may not have been as big as the one in Huntsville, but it was certainly appreciated. And, it was also a good start for the soldiers who all said they had a lot of catching up to do.

The National Guard unit handled communication from the Kandahar Airfield. The unit is based out of Florence.