Thursday, May 1, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.
About 150 Nellis airmen sent to southwest Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom began arriving home Wednesday night and this morning.
Tech Sgt. Ron Feet, a helicopter mechanic with the 577th Maintenance Squadron was among the first to step off a C-17 military transport plane that touched down about 7:30 a.m. at Nellis. Shortly after his feet hit the tarmac, he was in the arms of his wife and their lips locked.
"I'm most looking forward to having some time off with my wife after being over there for three and a half months," he said in between kisses as they leaned against the trunk of their car. "I want to get some real food that isn't chicken and rice because that's all we ate while we were over there."
By Friday night a total of 150 Nellis personnel from the 66th Rescue Squadron, the 58th Rescue Squadron and 757 Maintenance Squadron will have returned from southwest Asia.
Today four C-17 Globemaster military transports were scheduled to come in, followed on Friday by another three C-5 Galaxies. About 40 airmen returned Wednesday on commercial flights through McCarran International Airport.
"We've been in the military for 14 years so we're kind of used to this," said Feet's wife, Tiffany, a first lieutenant in the 57th Maintenance Squadron. "But I've only seen him nine months over the last two years so I'm excited that he's back. I can't even describe how happy I am, but you could probably say it's the best I've felt in a long time."
Staff Sgt. Richard Jones ran the 15 feet of tarmac between the plane and a bus carrying family members to sweep up his wife, Hazel, in a hug.
"I could see the whole base and the city coming in on the plane and it was just a beautiful sight," said Jones, an electrician for the 757th. "It's really overwhelming to be back."
Senior Airman David Chavez was met by his wife, Tonya, and his two daughters, Alena, 10 weeks, and Liana, 2.
"I really am surprised at how fast we are back," Chavez said. "It was really like any other deployment. It was really windy over there, there was a lot of dust. But they took good care of us and we had good morale."
Chavez said he was eager to spend time with his family.
"I feel great to be home but I'm a little tired," Chavez said. "I just plan on going home and soaking up time with my girls."
Nellis personnel in the 66th Rescue Squadron, the 58th Rescue Squadron and the 757th Maintenance Group were deployed in January.
The 66th, a unit that uses HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters for rescue operations, was one of three Air Force recovery squadrons used in Iraq.
Nellis also sent members of the 58th, a pararescue unit made up of medical specialists who focus on recovering downed pilots or injured personnel, and the 757th, which has the task of keeping the rescue helicopters flying.
A C-17 that landed at 9:45 this morning carried nine airmen. They all had a bottle of German beer strapped to their backpacks, souvenirs picked up in Germany where their plane stopped on the way home.
It was their first beer in three and a half months, they said.
Some of the airmen who returned Wednesday, as well as more arriving today and tomorrow, departed from Baghdad Airport.
Wearing jeans and a T-shirt, Senior Airman Patrick Martin on Wednesday looked like any other tourist waiting for his luggage at McCarran International Airport baggage claim.
But when he pulled his two large, green, Air Force-issue duffel bags off the baggage carousel, other travelers took notice and soon he was surrounded by people wanting to shake his hand and thank him for his efforts in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I'm just so happy to be back," Martin said as he stood with his wife. "When I got off the plane I saw the ads for the casinos and heard the song from the Venetian commercial, and I knew I was home."
In between handshakes Martin, who is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, made time to hug and kiss his wife, Andrea, several times.
"He's home now, and I don't think there is a better feeling in the world," said Andrea, an airman first class at Nellis.
The highlight of the deployment for the 66th came on April 1, when a Navy F-14 Tomcat crashed in southern Iraq due to mechanical problems. Flying conditions weren't very good, but one of the 66th's Pave Hawks was launched to retrieve the downed pilot and radar intercept officer, Martin said.
"It was a forward position, and it was pretty hairy out there," Martin said.
About 15 minutes after the helicopter was launched it returned with two happy Navy fighter-jocks.
"They went around and shook everyone's hand and thanked us," Martin said. "I think they were very happy to see us.
"They even promised to buy us all a beer. I'm still looking for that beer. I guess the Navy owes me a cold one."
About 1,100 Nellis personnel are deployed to 36 countries, including about 950 in support of operations in southwest Asia. Nellis' total number of airmen deployed overseas will drop under 1,000 with the return of personnel from the 66th, 58th and 757th.
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