About 18 soldiers from the Echo Company, 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry were greeted with cheers and open arms Wednesday night at the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport after about four months of being away on training. <\/p>\n
The arrivals section of the airport was a scene of emotional reunions as families, friends, and supporters gathered to welcome their troops. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always nice to come home,\u201d said PFC Winfred Camacho, who arrived with three-year-old son Kobe after picking him up in Seattle, Washington. \u201cOur training was very tough, we went through hard training which would be helpful for us in Iraq.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the 18 soldiers, other members of Company E as well as active military members also arrived and will spend the next two weeks with family and friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a blessing and I\u2019m happy,\u201d Camacho said.<\/p>\n
Winfred\u2019s father, former Department of Public Safety commissioner Edward Camacho, was on hand to welcome his son, and expressed a sigh of relief and joy at Winfred\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh this is a relief, finally,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting for this moment. Every minute, we\u2019re going to be together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is a wonderful period for them to be back for the holidays,\u201d he added. \u201cI know they\u2019ve been waiting for this and I know it\u2019s also going to be tough when they\u2019re about to leave, but what we want to do is keep it safe but fun while they\u2019re here. This is the best Christmas ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brothers Eric and Sonny Sablan, both Specialists, also expressed joy on returning for the holidays.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis feels so good,\u201d 21-year-old Eric said. \u201cOf course I miss my family and I will spend time with my family and savor every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sonny echoed similar thoughts, saying \u201cThe training is good, and coming back home for Christmas is a relief, not just for me but for all of the guys. Training at times can be stressful, so this is like a break for us now until we head back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sonny indicated that support from family and community members do make a difference in their time away.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing we rely on is the support we get from our families and everyone\u2026it\u2019s what keeps us working hard over there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sonny said he and the other soldiers from the CNMI treat each other like a big family. \u201cComing from a small island\u2026it\u2019s like a brotherhood, and we help each other and remain focused.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manny Camacho, Sonny and Eric\u2019s uncle, was himself very excited at the return of the two. \u201cWe\u2019re so happy they\u2019re back. The entire family is so proud of them and what they\u2019re doing,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Many of the troops are on the receiving end of a holiday treat as various agencies, individuals, local artists, schools and other pulled together to host a fundraiser concert yesterday evening at the American Memorial Park. Proceeds of the concert would go toward defraying some of the cost incurred by the troops in coming home. The rest of the amount would be donated to a non-profit group in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Company E left Saipan last August for training in Hawaii, and was most recently in Fort Bliss, Texas. After their brief stay, the troops will leave for Fort Polk, Louisiana for further training before deployment to Iraq in February. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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