FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- On Tuesday, hundreds of soldiers returned home from a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan.
"It's excitement (and) nervousness because you never know how the children are going to react, but overall just a lot of excitement," said Lindsay Dunne.
Lindsay Dunne, and her two boys were waiting for their soldier to get off the plane and march into the hangar, "The boys were yelling and screaming and I was looking for him."
Gail Mintz was there to find her little cousin Keandre Corizine, "It feels amazing. We are just glad they all made it back safely."
This was Corizine's first deployment. He says although he got used to being away, there is no feeling like coming home, "New experience being away from family, but I was adapting and adjusting to most things. Dealing with the heat and the workouts was pretty tough some days but, you know just brush it off."
For fifteen minutes, before leaving briefly to return their gear, these soldiers were holding their loved ones tight. Kevin O'Malley spent those minutes meeting his son for the first time, "Its been a long nine months or so but I'm just happy to be home."
After a 12-hour flight and an emotional reunion soldiers like Joseph Dunne are ready to head home, "I was excited to see them. I was ready to get all this over with so we can go home and see each other."
During this deployment, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade provided aviation support to U.S. coalition and Afghan forces.
In February, 700 soldiers will return home to Fort Campbell.