NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - National Guard Returns Home To Welcome Celebration

National Guard Returns Home To Welcome Celebration

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Sunday was a day of celebration for the friends and families of 300 Tennessee National Guardsmen and women. The 1175^th Transportation Company was away from home for a year.

The 1175th  transportation company returned home Sunday after a one year tour of duty in Iraq. They left for Iraq in May of 2007. Friends, family and supporters welcomed the soldiers as they flew in to the guard's flight facility in Smyrna.  Soldiers got a hero's welcome as they stepped off the plane, and loved ones say perhaps best of all, every member of the company returned home safely.

"My husband is coming home from his second tour of duty," said Mary Boyd.

Former soldiers and strangers as well were there to welcome home the group.

If this celebration were an ice cream Sunday, then Vietnam Vet Jack Watts and the rest of the Patriot Guard were the red white and blue cherry on top.

"Bring them boys home.  Nobody welcomed me when I came home, so I wanted to make sure I was here for them when they came home," said Vietnam Vet Jack Watts.

Guardsmen and women carried with them the things that during their time in Iraq gave them something to look forward to. One soldier came home with a teddy bear on her back that her son sent for Christmas.

Every man and woman in the 1175th Transportation Company did make it home safely.

"You couldn't get a better blessing. I've been over three times, and every time I came back with the same amount I went with. Ain't no better blessing in the world," said about making it home in good health," Sgt. Scott Bradt.

Company leaders said they're proud of the work they did.  While in Iraq, the 1175th helped transport heavy equipment. Soldiers logged more than 2.5 million miles without a single casualty. 

The soldiers returned from Iraq earlier this week, but they spent the past few days at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.