Idaho National Guardsmen Coming Home

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho National Guard spokesman says soldiers returning from a 9-month deployment in Afghanistan have arrived at Fort Hood in Texas where Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter welcomed them back. Col. Tim Marsano says the 60 soldiers in Company A, 1-168 General Support Aviation Battalion arrived late Saturday on a charter flight from their deployment base in Afghanistan.

Marsano says the soldiers will remain at Fort Hood about a week before returning to Idaho. While in Afghanistan the soldiers supported Operation Enduring Freedom, operating eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the unit. Their mission involved transporting personal and equipment throughout the Afghanistan combat operations area.