A warm welcome home: Returning 495th greeted by families, supporters

Smiles stretched across an expansive crowd filling Glacier Jet Center Saturday. People hooted and hollered, waved their hands and shook signs as if waiting for rock stars, but they were each waiting for someone far more important — military heroes.

Amid handmade signs that read, “Welcome home,” “We missed you dad,” and “I love you mom,” was 11-year-old Jaclynn Waldron’s.

Jaclynn stood up on a chair and held her sign high. Her dad was finally home from Afghanistan.

There was a release of emotions from the crowd when the plane carrying all 68 soldiers of the 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion landed. The aircraft slowly made its way under an arc of water shot off by two fire trucks.

The 495th had finally returned home after a nine-month deployment providing logistics and support in southern Afghanistan.

A rush of excitement moved through the crowd when the plane door opened and soldiers began making their way down the steps to a reception line that included Gov. Steve Bullock, Lt. Gov. John Walsh, Civilian Aid to the Secretary of the Army Ken Inabnit, Patriot Guard Riders and Native American Honor Guards.

Children, husbands and wives raced toward their loved ones for tight embraces. Petals fell from a bouquet of flowers held by a young girl as she clutched the leg of a soldier. Couples had their first kiss after nine months apart.

Jaclynn spotted her dad, Sgt. Daniel Waldron and ran toward him before he is completely through the reception line.

“She ran up to him immediately,” said Daniel’s wife Crystal.

“I was still shaking hands and I was jumped on. That was pretty cool,” Daniel added.

This was Daniel’s second deployment.

“We’re relieved after round two,” Crystal said.

She said attending social functions were the hardest without her husband.

“I hated going to family functions by myself, or going to the fair and everyone is holding hands,” Crystal said.

The first thing Daniel wanted to do after the family reunion, which included his 9-year-old son, was change out of his long-sleeved uniform and into civilian clothes.

“I got your clothes in the car,” Crystal said. “Chicago Bears and your favorite hoodie.”

Crystal said her husband was also looking forward to the coming of winter and cold weather.

“One-hundred-twenty degrees was the hottest day,” Daniel said about the hot climate of Afghanistan.

He’ll also be able to savor the creature comforts of civilian life such as watching football games on cable.

Their children had one simple word to describe how they felt about their dad’s return — happy.

During Daniel’s deployment the family did keep in touch on Sundays using Skype.

What Jaclynn said she missed the most about her dad’s absence was wrestling.

“They like to wrestle together,” Crystal said.

Before returning to their Havre home, the family plans to visit family in Marion. Crystal said they also have another special trip planned to Hawaii in November.

Across the tarmac, Staff Sgt. Aimee Schmidt was elated to be back home in Kalispell. This was her first tour after 19 years away from the military to raise her family.

“I decided to come back in and support our country with everything that was going on,” Aimee said.

Her children Colton, 9; McKenzie Smith, 17 and Brittney Smith, 20, who were all wearing shirts that read “I waited 318 days to hug my mom,” joined her.

The family kept in touch nearly every other day through Facebook and Skype despite a very slow Internet connection in Afghanistan and packages sent by mail. Included in one of those packages was a picture of Aimee holding Colton during the 495th’s departure taken by The Daily Inter Lake in November.

“I like seeing a happy face instead of a sad face,” Aimee said smiling down at her son.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.