Oklahoma Soldiers Return From Kuwait For Christmas At Home

<p>Just in time for Christmas, the 834th Aviation Support Battalion arrived in Tulsa on Friday afternoon. The soldiers deployed to Kuwait in June.</p>

Friday, December 18th 2015, 7:04 pm



Just in time for Christmas, the 834th Aviation Support Battalion arrived in Tulsa on Friday afternoon.

The soldiers deployed to Kuwait in June. They were in the Middle East to do maintenance work on military helicopters.

For some it was their first deployment, while others had been overseas before. And all of them were ready to get back home. As the commanding officer said the word “dismissed,” it's mission accomplished.

“We went there, we worked; we did our job,” Spec. Joseph Cooper said. “We just did what we could.”

Now they are on to their next mission, the one they've waited for seven long months -- a family reunion.

Gracie Cooper couldn't wait to see her daddy. But when the time came, it was different than what she'd gotten used to these past few months.

“She's used to seeing me on a computer screen, so she like, 'huh this is real?'” he said.

Then there's Sgt. Clay Hawkins. His son was wearing his camo hat and his daughter clinging his arm.

“I haven't seen him in seven months,” the girl said.

“It's Christmas, gotta couple of weeks off,” Sgt. Hawkins said.

A homecoming just ahead of the holidays... it’s the best gift these soldiers and their families ever could get.

Hawkins' 8-year-old daughter said it was her Christmas wish for her dad to be home for the holiday, and with him home, she couldn't ask for anything more.

One of the Sergeant Majors who spoke at the homecoming said the unit has three goals while away, to treat each other like family, to come back together and to show others what Oklahomans are made of.

He said they accomplished all three. 

 

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

December 18th, 2015

March 22nd, 2024

March 14th, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024

March 29th, 2024