Troops Return To Aberdeen

More than 100 members of the Army Reserve's 452nd Ordinance Company received a warm welcome home Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen.

The unit returned this summer after a year long deployment in Kuwait and Iraq.

The ceremony gave the community a chance to welcome the troops after they've had time to settle in.

Leaving loved ones at home is never easy, but to know they'll be there with open arms no matter how much time passes by is a feeling soldiers will never forget.

Jenna Schmaltz says, "It helps us to go overseas and realize how much support we have."

Jenna Schmaltz and her husband, Andrew, were deployed to Afghanistan from July of 2010 up until last summer.

Jenna returned to the US early after injuring her shoulder when she was off-duty.

She was back in her home town of Mitchell, a month before her husband, caring for their two-year old daughter, Addison, after being away for a year.

Jenna Schmaltz says, "It was just a whole different experience. I had to learn her attitude all over again, and just get to know my child all grown up, so it was quite difficult."

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She says the advantage to coming home early was being able to greet her husband with open arms when he returned home.

Andrew Schmaltz says, "That month that she was home was kind of like a child waiting for Christmas. There are all the presents under the tree, but you can't open them until Christmas actually gets there."

Jenna says having five months to settle in taught her to appreciate the simple things that we may take for granted.

Jenna Schmaltz says, "I feel like since I?ve been back, I?ve been able to, you know, let's sit down and let's have a family dinner. Or let's have pizza night, or let's play Candyland with our daughter. Every night is just fortunate for us all three to be together." ?

US representative Kristi Noem and Governor Dennis Daugaard were among speakers who welcomed the troops at the ceremony.

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45922943/ns/local_news-rapid_city_sd/

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