There was a big homecoming celebration in Lincoln Thursday afternoon. More than 90 Nebraska Army National Guard members returned from a 10 month deployment to the Middle East. They stepped off a plane at the Army Aviation Support facility and into the arms of overjoyed family members.
Staff Sgt. Dave Halstead of Lincoln is with Troop C, 1-134th Calvary Squadron and says it’s good to be back home. “Just kind of a weight lifted off your shoulders. I want to go outside just lay in the grass. I miss the grass. I miss Nebraska.”
Halstead says seeing the huge crowd that came out to greet them was a great feeling. “We’re only a unit of 95 people and to have this many people come out is awesome to see.” Halstead says they were deployed to the U.S. Central Command area. “We were security forces unit for the whole area. We were there for there for a just incase scenario, which didn’t happen.” He says they also spent a lot of time training.
He says the unit was spread out over several counties including Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and UAE.