First wave of 76th Guard unit returns to Indiana

The first wave of soldiers from the Indiana National Guard's 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team returned home from their Iraq deployment Wednesday to an emotional reunion with friends and family.

About 50 members of the guard unit arrived at Indianapolis International Airport late Wednesday morning and then met with family members at nearby Stout Field. There, Master Sgt. Karolyn Peeler, 43, hugged her mom, Helen Montgomery, 60, and uncle, Raymond Montgomery, 51.

"It just brings tears to all our eyes," Peeler said. "Being away one year without a hug from a loved one, it's just hard."

Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Deedra Thombleson said the soldiers were then scheduled to head to Camp Atterbury, the National Guard base about 30 miles north of Seymour.

The Guard members will help with demobilization tasks such as equipment turnover and medical processing for the rest of the 3,200-member Guard unit, which is scheduled to return in stages until Dec. 7. The next group will return Nov. 11.

The soldiers come from units in Columbus, Jasper, New Albany, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Indianapolis, Crawfordsville, Greencastle and Remington. Part of the unit had been for former Charlie Co. based at the Indiana National Guard Armory in Seymour.

The unit mobilized last December and left Indianapolis Jan. 2 for training in Georgia. They deployed to Iraq in March.

Two soldiers - Staff Sgt. Brian Miller of Pendleton and Sgt. Joseph Ford, New Albany - died during the deployment, both in separate vehicle rollovers, Thombleson said.