Lee Erwin Reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
Fort Campbell, KY. – The first full day of spring brought a warm sunny day, 162 soldiers, and the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, Major General Gary Volesky, back home Saturday, March 21.
PHOTOS: 101st soldiers return from their deployment
The soldiers, with Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion arrived on two flights at Campbell Army Airfield. The soldiers had spent five months deployed to Liberia providing humanitarian assistance to help fight the Ebola Pandemic.
Upon their return the soldiers had also completed their 21-day controlled monitoring at Fort Bliss Texas. Upon their return General Volesky and Command Sergeant Major of the 101st, Gregory Nowak uncased the division colors, symbolizing the return of the 101st to Fort Campbell.
General Volesky spoke to the crowd of several hundred gathered at Hangar 3 at the airfield. “Is it great to be home or what? This was a different mission, a mission we hadn’t had before but I want you to know it was just as important as anything we’ve done in the last 14 years,” said Volesky.
In their battle against Ebola, Volesky said that when they first arrived in Liberia there were over 50 confirmed cases of the disease a day and added that after America’s response to the crisis there has only been one case reported in the country in the last 30 days.
Around 200 soldiers with the 101st Sustainment Brigade are scheduled to return Sunday, March 22 and Monday, March 23 approximately 115 101st Sustainment Brigade and 86th Combat Support Hospital soldiers are set to come home to Fort Campbell from their controlled monitoring and deployment to West Africa.
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