After spending close to a year in Afghanistan, providing security and helping to train Afghan police forces, the New Jersey National Guard's 508th Military Police Company has arrived back home. The citizen soldiers got a heroes welcome at the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville.

"There's no words for being home, it feels great, it feels great.  You miss everything, everything from the smallest things to the biggest things, your family, everything," said one soldier hugging his wife.

His wife said "I have no words for the joy I feel right now, my family is finally complete."

Another returning soldier said "it's unreal right now, it's the only word I can put out - it's unreal - it feels fantastic to be back home - you don't know what you miss till you're gone."

"I'm excited right now," said another guardsman, "I'm here with my wife, look at her, she's beautiful! Wawa looks like heaven almost, just the regular things, car, road, roads that don't have potholes in them."

Another returning soldier said " I am actually going to surprise my kids in school tomorrow, my wife set it up, I'll probably cry tomorrow for real…I'm speechless right now, I really have no words to describe it."

"It's amazing, I'm really ready for a cold beer," said another man.

 

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM