When I returned home from my Iraq deployment, I vividly recall seeing my wife for the first time after a year away. I was on the left side of the bus bringing us to the parade grounds on Ft. Stewart. We all had our windows down and were frantically searching the crowd for faces we recognized.
Then, there she was. This beautiful face trying just as frantically to find me. For a brief moment, we saw each other and emotions were impossible to contain. I love seeing these moments, but what a great day it will be when they are no longer required!
Sgt. Trinidad Garcia, jump platoon sergeant, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, hugs his wife, Christina Garcia, at a homecoming ceremony held for the Marines returning from Afghanistan, Oct. 10. The Marines and sailors of 1st Bn., 5th Marines were reunited with their families and friends after a 7-month deployment to Sangin, Afghanistan, during which the Marines conducted security operations and trained local Afghan forces. Garcia has deployed twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. “It feels good to be home,” Garcia said. “I missed my wife.”
Photo by Lance Cpl. Tyler Reiriz.
