Welcome Home 3rd Brigade!

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division, just returned home from Iraq this week to Fort Carson. Approximately 4,000 troops reunited with family, friends, children, spouses, home, they represent about 14% of the population of Ft Carson.
Until we moved here to Colorado Springs, I don’t think I had a clue about what both our troops and their families go through during a deployment. Not that I wasn’t patriotic or anything. But here, deployments seem to affect so many.
Our own son is a contractor right now in Afghanistan, relatively light duty from what I can gather. But seeing our grand daughter without her dad for extended periods, seeing his wife coping with the whole thing, it really is a big deal when families have to be apart for so long. Add the stresses of realizing that many of these guys have come close to death, seen friends wounded or die, and had to kill, and you get more of a sense of what it’s like.
They picked a good time to come home. The weather has been fantastic, without a cloud in the sky, and temperatures in the 70’s. I hope they all take advantage of how nice it is, since it could just as easily be snowing (like it actually did on Friday morning!). Whether it’s spring skiing, golfing, or taking the kids to the zoo, I think the recreation opportunities will be among the things they enjoy. For my son, he got some leave at Christmas, and he REALLY enjoyed the dining out opportunities. Variety!
I so appreciate the sacrifices the members of our military make. Thank you 3rd BCT, and welcome home!