Can you describe how you felt coming home from a deployment or combat?

I was in the 1st Gulf War starting With Desert Shield through the end f combat. We had been on deployment for almost 6 months prior to the War starting, so we were extended on the time away. I had a 6 month old boy when I left, and had not seen the majority of my family for better than a year prior to deploying. I was so proud of what had done, and of the job my unit did, but was elated to be returning home to see my wife and son. It was short lived. My wife had left me while deployed, and claims her boyfriend informed me in a letter. (Never received a letter.) She did not support President Bush's position on this conflict, and didn't understand why I didn't quit and just come home. I retrospect, I didn't think of how hard it is on the Military family when I chose my wife. She was not cut out for the role of Military Spouse. I am still proud of what I did, and I have a better understanding of what the Vets in my family have been through. (Dad was Navy in the Defense of Taiwan, and my Uncle was Air Force in Viet Nam.) I would have done some things different, but I am great with my son, have a loving wife of 25+ years. (Not the same one) I choose to remember the time where I felt the best from that time.

When I came back from Vietnam in Dec 1970 we flew into Cal. With all the hippies throwing stuff at us and calling us names. I was shocked and dismayed but in a hurry to get home to a new wife and new baby daughter. Surprised my wife at 2 in the morn. She was ecstatic to have me home. Couple a days later went down to the neighbor hood bar we all hang out at. Couple 0f my old high school buddies ask me were I had been. To;d them I just got baxk for the Nam. They got up and moved to another table. Went I went to my permanent duty assign. I had a little over a year left. I re-up so I could be comfortable with people who had the same experiences as me. I was not a combat soldier but I did do everything I was told to do the best that I could and I’m a proud VIETNAM VET.

Lost, angry and out of place. Really Angry and I got out in 2004. I am doing a little better know, but the world left me behind with my brothers and sisters who served with me. Civilian adjustment is still rough.

I was personally glad to be home and ready to get on with my life each time.

I returned from Iraq in 2004. 4thID did a "heroes welcome" thing for troops returning from there in one of the gyms on Fort Hood. We ran in, assembled in a formation, saluted the flag, listened to a lady sing the National Anthem, then we were dismissed. I tried looking for my family but couldn't see them. I shook an officer's hand, got a hug by some lady, then just when I decided I was going to walk home, I saw my son(he was 3), and he reached out for me to grab him. Then I saw everyone else(wife, daughter, and Father-in-Law). As strange as this sounds, part of this reminded me of Heartbreak Ridge. Throughout the whole thing, I was just glad that my fellow NCO's and I brought our guys back alive.

Like I zoomed to the top of the class and left all the home folk behind. Except my Dad and older brother. They were combat vets. It was like with just looks to each other, we we’re communicating. It was weird .

It is never easy coming home to family you have not seen in months or even spoken to for months. I always seemed to move right into things that were going on. My wife did not stop when I was gone, so I kind of just tools things onboard a little bit at a time. Come to find out, my youngest was the most affected by me being gone and she suffers from mental illness. We get help from the VA and Tricare, but the copays add up. Take advantage of everything you can for you family while you are in. Once you get out, things are different.

The joy I felt, when our troop ship coming home from Japan, went under the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.

When my dad returned from deployment, for me personally, it was always the best days. It was like the whole in my heart was being filled each time, however looking back on it I think my dad would say that returning was more a cacophony of emotions. He was definitely happy to be home, but at the same time he had to adjust to the changes that had occurred while he was deployed. In fact, we all did. Some of us had taken on new familial roles or new chores because my dad was gone, and when he returned he had to re-evaluate the family dynamic. So while, yes, returning from deployment can be exciting, it can also be stressful because so much will have inevitably changed since the service member had left.

Coming home is never as easy as you would think/hope. Everyone had grown and become more independent, and the whole family dynamic changed. I had to step back into my role with caution yet excitement. The work dynamic had also changed with my soldiers having increased family/marriage problems. The massive number of PCS moves threw my unit out of certification and recovery operations were very hard.