Balloons, flowers and tearful reunions greeted about 100 U.S. Army reservists on Tuesday as they returned to their home base in Arlington Heights after a nine-month deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After landing at O’Hare International Airport, the 1304th Military Police Company buses were escorted by a police escort to the base, where they disembarked and rushed into the arms of their loved ones.
“It was definitely hard being away (from friends and family),” said Sergeant Jake Leibfritz of Lemont, who is returning to civilian life as a commercial insurance broker. “One day you’re with them and the next you’re not. Every day you’re kind of counting the days until you get back.”
Family and friends wait at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Arlington Heights on Tuesday for members of the 1304th Military Police Company to return from a nine-month deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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For Staff Sgt. David Niggins of Naperville, the hot, humid weather that greeted the company in Arlington Heights was a reminder of where they had spent the last nine months.
“It actually feels a bit like Cuba,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Eric Nowinski of Spring Grove will be reunited with his family, including his wife, Michelle, and three children, Logan, 7, Teddy, 5, and Isabelle, 3, on Tuesday at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Arlington Heights.
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Niggins, who works in sales for a liquor company, said he wanted to build on his experience and pursue a career in law enforcement. This was his second deployment, the first being at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, where he cared for refugees from Afghanistan.
Niggins said the operation required long days and many hours.
“But we stayed together,” he said. “It was a good experience. We built a close family there.”
Members of the 1304th Military Police Company pack their belongings after being reunited with their families in Arlington Heights on Tuesday after returning from a nine-month deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Brian Hill/[email protected]
Some of the soldiers discovered upon their return that a lot can change in nine months. Sergeant Thomas Toyra from Round Lake discovered upon his return that Layla, the little daughter he had left behind, is now a 14-month-old toddler.
His wife, Nicole, said technology helped him bridge the distance during his deployment.
“We FaceTimed every day,” she said. “I don’t know how people did it (before). It was a blessing.”
Spc. Mackenzie Sullivan of St. Charles was met by friends who gave her a ride to surprise her parents, who thought she was coming home on Friday, with her early return.
Sullivan, who also celebrated her 22nd birthday on Tuesday, said she is looking forward to “my life getting back to normal,” which means she is working toward becoming an EMT.
Although technology allowed her to communicate with people at home, it was difficult after a hard day at work.
“You’re constantly exhausted and just want to go to bed,” she added.
Algonquin resident Bryan Lange welcomed his son, Spc. Thomas Lange, who worked as a paramedic and brought a parting gift – a wooden axe in honor of his service at the Kittery Beach Aid Station. It is inscribed with the words: “You were the glue that held our electronics together.”
The inscription was decorated with cats – “I’m obsessed with cats,” said Lange, who lives in Peoria.
Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes, who served in the Army Reserve for 17 years, also welcomed the soldiers. He said it meant a lot to have a base in the city, adding that it “honors their military veterans and their families, as well as the active duty soldiers.”
The commander of the 1304th, Captain Claudia Contreras – a police officer in her hometown of Skokie – praised the company for its achievements.
“They did an absolutely great job,” she said. “We were very successful in our mission.”
