Welcome home: Airmen have made their community proud

We are used to it around here -- being proud of the work the men and women of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base do every day.

We already know the stories about the dedication and courage of the 100 or so airmen who will return home this week -- as well as the good work they did overseas.

So all that is left now is to be happy for the families and the young men and women who will be home for Christmas.

Thank goodness they are arriving home safely -- and early.

We owe a debt of gratitude not only to those who are returning from war this week, but also to the families who have held down the fort while the service members were away.

There have been a lot of parents who have had to be mom and dad, while trying to keep their family life humming, not knowing when their loved one would return home.

They are heroes, too.

It is heart-warming to see the joy on the faces of the children whose best Christmas present just got off a jet this week after returning from the battlefields.

What a holiday it will be for them.

So to the families and airmen who will get the chance to spend Christmas together, we hope you have a merry one.

And to all those who are still serving, who are still protecting this country's interests abroad, we say thank you and that we are thinking of you.

We will pray for your safe return, too.

Published in Editorials on December 21, 2011 11:03 AM