Members of the Minnesota National Guard B-Co 2136 Command returned home on Wednesday to be reunited with their families and loved ones. Fathers and Mothers returned home to their children, Sons and Daughters returned home to their parents, and husbands and wives were once again able to see each other after over a year of separation.
Family and Community members in the Crookston area filled the Crookston National Guard Armory to welcome and thank those who served. Laura Delage was one of the many that was able to see her son again, and she said it’s something she has waited a long time to do. “I couldn’t wait until he walked back through that door,” said Delage. “I haven’t seen him in a year, and we’ve missed birthdays, Christmas, and plenty of other things so I am extremely excited.”
B-Co 2136 First Sergeant Rodney Welch has been in the Minnesota National Guard for almost 29 years, and he says returning home to your family is a feeling unlike any other. “It is something beyond special,” said Welch. “Being able to see the soldiers’ reactions to seeing their families again is something that most people will never be able to understand because they don’t know what these families and soldiers have gone through.”
The soldiers spent time in five different countries and were returning home from the Middle East. Their duties and responsibilities ranged all across the board, and Sergeant Welch said this group was some of the best soldiers he’s ever been around. “These soldiers were incredible to work with,” said Welch. “They knew their jobs and excelled at anything that you gave them. They knew what was expected of them and they got the mission done. I couldn’t have asked more from these soldiers.”
Pictures of the soldiers being greeted upon arrival at the Crookston National Guard Armory can be found below –
