Open arms welcome soldiers home

LINCOLN — Fields of ripening corn and lush green soybeans lined the road home Friday for 49 members of a Nebraska Army National Guard unit.

It was a far cry from the fields where team members have been working in Afghanistan as part of the guard's Agribusiness Development Team.

So was the cheering, clapping crowd waiting at the end of the road Friday.

Flags waved, balloons bobbed and yellow ribbons fluttered as team members stepped off the buses and into the waiting arms of family and friends.

Team members arrived in Lincoln just before 11 a.m. after a yearlong deployment in north-central Afghanistan.

While there, the group helped local Afghan farmers learn new and more effective farming and livestock techniques. The team was made up of soldiers from units across Nebraska, many with roots in farming.

Master Sgt. David Hayes of Lincoln was soon encircled by six of his seven children and other family members.

While one daughter showed him photo highlights of her year, Hayes said it has been a long stretch away from home. He said the deployment was his first.

“I learned that family and friends are important — that I may have taken them for granted before leaving, but not anymore,” he said.

Sgt. Jesse Olson's support group was out in force. They were about 25 strong, many sporting black T-shirts with his name on the back.

The Randolph soldier was among team members who provided security while others dug wells, experimented with new grasses, taught classes on animal breeding, demonstrated staking techniques for grapes, planted fruit trees and more.

“They helped people over there and made a strong base for future ag teams,” Olson said of his fellow team members.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., called the group “a model of the modern American soldier.” They are just as ready to build as to fight, he said during a brief ceremony.

Gov. Dave Heineman and Brig. Gen. Judd Lyons, the newly appointed Nebraska adjutant general, were among the dignitaries welcoming the team home.

Lyons said he could not think of a better way to close out his first week as Guard commander.

“I know you truly made an impact in Afghanistan,” he said. “Job well done.”

The Nebraska group arrived back in the United States earlier this week and have been completing administrative processing at Camp Atterbury, Ind.

The team spent several weeks training at the camp before leaving for the war-torn country.

Contact the writer:

402-473-9583, martha.stoddard@owh.com