Several hundred members of the Indiana National Guard stepped foot on American soil for the first time in more than a year when they arrived Sunday at the Indianapolis International Airport.
Around 200 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry, arriving from Iraq, landed Sunday night, with family and friends waiting to greet them. Their flight was the last of three flights that arrived in Indianapolis since Wednesday.
All together, about 700 soldiers from the 152nd Infantry have returned home.
According to National Guard officials contacted by the Associated Press, the infantry's mission in Iraq and Kuwait involved convoy and perimeter security in Baghdad as well as Kuwait camps Doha and Arifjan. The battalion was certified for combat while overseas, and several members received the Combat Infantry Badge, officials said.
Among the returning soldiers were several Ball State students who are planning to resume their studies at the university within the next few months.
Fellow students said they are glad the soldiers have made it back safely to the United States and are looking forward to seeing the soldiers return to campus.
"It's pretty encouraging to know," sophomore Malcolm Richards said.
Richards said he can relate to the soldiers in that he also served in the Indiana National Guard for one year before retuning to Ball State last fall.
Because his experiences overseas helped him to grow significantly, he is confident that his fellow soldiers have also benefited from participating in the war, he said.
"Their leaving college to get experience in the (real) world was good for them," Richards said. "I left a young man and came back a man, and I'm sure the same will apply to (them)."
Sophomore Allison Boyles, who was almost activated last year, said she is sure the soldiers who are returning to campus will always have a sense of fulfillment.
The situations they experienced overseas will change them forever, she said.
"They have survived war, which is an incredible feat," Boyles said. "And they will undoubtedly feel more pride in themselves and their country. Being in the military, on any level, has incredible impact on your life, and I give all those who have served and are serving overseas so much more respect and gratitude."
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