Reunited: 280 soldiers return to Fort Stewart after six-month deployment to Europe

Lewis Levine
·1 min read
Erique Henley Sr. hugs his daughter, Erin Marshaé Henley, in Newman Gym on Fort Stewart after returning from a six month deployment in Europe.
Erique Henley Sr. hugs his daughter, Erin Marshaé Henley, in Newman Gym on Fort Stewart after returning from a six month deployment in Europe.

280 soldiers returned home to Fort Stewart and re-united with the families after a six-month deployment to Europe.

They marched through the doors of Newman Gym shortly after midnight to the cheers and tears of family and friends.

Maj. Gen. Charles Costanza promised to keep it brief, and to everyone’s surprise he did, when he walked up to the microphone and told family members to go get their soldiers. Family members rushed from the bleachers seeking their loved ones and lavishing them with hugs and kisses once they found them.

The First Armored Brigade Combat Team and commander returned to Fort Stewart from Europe. The brigade command team recently cased their colors in Europe after their six-month deployment to Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. The Raider Brigade deployed as the armored component of the immediate response force to reassure NATO allies, deter Russian aggression, and support a range of other requirements in the region.

A homecoming worth staying up for: Families greet 3rd ID soldiers returning from deployment

Other news: Magnet fishers fined after reporting ammunition catch at Fort Stewart

Also: Fort Stewart's 3rd Infantry Division at the forefront of U.S. Army warfighting strategy

All members of the 1st ABCT are expected to return by the end of August.

During their deployment, the 1st ABCT participated in Exercise Combined Resolve XVII at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center with 11 other NATO allies and partners to enhance interoperability and readiness. Other training and exercises completed throughout the deployment included M1 Abrams tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and Paladin howitzer gunnery qualification tables and small unit, joint, and combined live fire exercises.

The 1st ABCT is being replaced by the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 280 soldiers return to Fort Stewart, Georgia after Europe deployment