BROWNSVILLE — After a nearly year-long deployment, 1st Sgt. Matthew Hanson said there’s one word that aptly describes what it feels like to be home: “Heaven.”
He was part of the U.S. Army troops of Alpha Company 3-141 Infantry Battalion who arrived Saturday in Brownsville after nine months in Africa and a training period at Fort Bliss.
Hanson, who ended his fourth deployment, was greeted by his wife, Cheri, and daughters, ages 2 and 4.
“It’s just a moment you wait for for a long time, finally getting to see them,” he said. “It feels relieving and relaxing all at the same time.”
The troops departed in September to assist in operations and peacekeeping missions. Hanson said the battalion was based in Djibouti, where some helped train Djiboutian soldiers. Others took part in security rotations in Somalia.
As the one in charge of keeping track of personnel and ensuring they were adequately supplied, Hanson typically worked 10-12 hours per day. It may come as no surprise that he’s most looking forward to kicking up his heels for a while.
“I’m going to take some time off and relax a little bit,” he said. “It was just a good experience to be able to do something for our country and take care of everybody back here as best we can.”
Yolanda Martinez
We’ll give them a big a hug and tell them, ‘Welcome back home,’ and tell them, ‘Thank you for your service.’”
Among those who greeted the returning troops was Yolanda Martinez, part of the auxiliary organization of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2035 in Brownsville. The group also took part in a homecoming ceremony Wednesday.
“We’ll give them a big a hug and tell them, ‘Welcome back home,’” she said, “and tell them, ‘Thank you for your service.’”
Though Martinez didn’t have any family members in the battalion, she said she has been participating since 2009 because her father was a veteran of World War II and her brother served in the Vietnam War. When her brother returned home, she said, he had been met with anger.
“Even though you don’t hug a person you don’t know, these are soldiers coming from Africa that are serving the country,” she said, “so that makes me feel close to them even if I don’t know them.”
