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13 return from duty in Iraq
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Staff Sgt. James Goodman, of Akron, carries his 3 week old daughter, Avery, flanked by his cousin, Sean Reese, of Dayton, and his wife, Amanda Goodman, after returning to the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna Ohio. Goodman is among 13 members of the 910 Airlift Wing's Security Forces Squadron who have been deployed at Kirkuk Air Base in Iraq for the past 6 months and returned Wednesday evening.
Family and friends braved low temperatures to watch the C-130 carrying their loved ones land.
VIENNA — “I’m very, very glad to be home. It couldn’t have come soon enough,” said Airman 1st Class Zachary Sain.
Sain was one of 13 members of the 910th Airlift Wing Security Forces Squadron who arrived home around 5 p.m. Wednesday after a six-month deployment at Kirkuk Air Base in Iraq.
Family and friends braved frigid weather, laughing and crying and jumping up and down in excitement, as the C-130 carrying their loved ones landed at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station here.
Though he was happy to be home, Sain said of the Air Force: “This is where I belong.”
Sain, a 2005 graduate of Champion High School, has wanted to be in the military and a policeman since the fourth grade, said his mother, Jaquetta Sain-Beres of Niles.
“I knew it was his calling. I’ve always appreciated that he wanted to serve his country and help people. I just thank God that he is home safe,” she said.
Sain was also welcomed home by his sister, Amanda, and grandparents, Ronnie and Cathy Sain of Warren, and other family members.
Amanda said it was difficult for her when her brother left.
“We’re best friends. I could always depend on him. I’ll probably cry and hug him,” Amanda said before the plane landed. And that is exactly what the Champion High School junior did.
She said the scariest thing was when they’d be talking to him on the phone and hear sirens go off.
“He would say, ‘I’ve got to go. Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be all right,’” and then hang up, she said.
Sain didn’t come back unscathed from Iraq.
His mother said a rocket shell exploded near him, giving him a concussion. She said he received a medal for bravery for performing his duty under fire.
Staff Sgt. James Goodman of Akron came home nearly bursting to meet a complete stranger — his first child, a daughter named Avery, who was born just three weeks ago.
His wife, Amanda, who stayed with her parents in Dover during her husband’s deployment, said she was disappointed he couldn’t be there for all the steps of the pregnancy. But, she said, he listened on the phone while Avery was being born.
“I missed him, but I am very proud of him. He has always wanted to go over,” Amanda said, of her husband’s first deployment to Iraq.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. The timing was a little difficult, but it’s a story we’ll be able to tell Avery,” Amanda said.
Dave and Kay Thompson of Leetonia, and their daughters, Erin Pusateri of East Liverpool, Elaina Thompson of Leetonia, and Jaime Booth of New Waterford, were anxiously awaiting the return of their son and brother, Senior Airman Jared Thompson, from his second deployment to Iraq.
“I’m glad and thankful to be home,” said Jared, after getting out of the cold and saying hello to his family.
When he called, he always wanted to know what was going on at home, said Jared’s mother, Kay, who said she was first in line to give him a welcome-home hug.
“I’m so glad to see. I missed him so much,” she said.
“We’d send him clips from The Vindicator, particularly about sports,” said his father, Dave.
“We’re extremely proud of Jared and all of these men and women,” he said.
“You’re my heroes,” said Col. Teresa Hams, to the assembled reservists and their families.
“Thank you for your service. We appreciate everything you’ve done,” said Hams, commander of the 910th Mission Support Group.
Though the 13 who returned home from Iraq on Wednesday were the last of the Security Forces Squadron personnel deployed last July to come back, there are still about 200 910th members on deployment.
Also, six members of the 910th Force Support Squadron are scheduled to leave Friday for Bagram, Afghanistan, for 120 days.
alcorn@vindy.com