Soldiers return home just in time for holidays
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Some Fort Hood families have an extra reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
Hundreds of soldiers with the First Cavalry Division's Second Brigade came back from Iraq late Wednesday night. Families say it's a blessing in more ways than one.
Only hours stood between a moment Ashley Manley and her daughter Payton had been waiting for, for the last six months.
"I'm so nervous, so scared and so excited to see him," Manley said.
It was a moment that came earlier than expected for the families of 300 soldiers with the First Cavalry Division's Second Brigade. The division’s year-long deployment was cut back to six months.
"Santa came early this year, so we get our present tonight," Manley said.
The gift is her husband being able to hold their six-month-old daughter who was just two-weeks-old when he left for Iraq.
"I think he's going to cry, unless I beat him to it first," Manley said.
As the hours dwindled down to minutes, buses arrived filled with their soldiers and the excitement proved to be overwhelming.
"When you see the joy of soldiers seeing their kids, a brand new baby or the child is very young," Lt. Col. Marne Sutten said. "It's just a phenomenal experience to see a young family get back together."
"I know when he left he was worried he would miss out, and I did tell him the best part of his child will be when he comes home. That's the fun part,” mother Janet Manely said.
First Cavalry officials say about 1,000 soldiers are already back home. More are returning Thursday and through this week.
All 2,400 soldiers who remain overseas hope to be back before Christmas.