116th Security Forces troops receive warm homecoming

By A1C Paul R. Ross
116th Air Control Wing

Families and friends of the members of116th Air Control Wing security forces troops gather at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to welcome home their heroes.

Emmett Whitten’s family could not have been happier when he arrived at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on September 3.The technical sergeant was one of 18 security forces troops from the 116th Air Control Wing who were met by family, friends and community members when they returned home after spending seven months in Iraq.

“It’s great to be home,” said Tech. Sgt. Whitten. “Seven months is a long time to be away from your family.”

Being gone for a long period of time means you might come home to some changes."

“My middle son has grown 7 inches,” said the Perry, Ga. native. “That was quite a shock.”

Tech. Sgt. Whitten knows how necessary his tasking in Iraq was. “We provided security for a regional air base," he explained. “Our job consisted of manning sentry towers and gates, providing mobile patrols and off-base combat patrols both on foot and in vehicles.”

Part of the reason the troops were able to maintain a high level of morale was the support from home.

“The support back at our home unit really helped us,” said Tech. Sgt. Whitten. “Heather McCullough (the 116th Security Forces commander’s wife) went out of her way. She more made sure family members were informed.”

Tech. Sgt. Whitten found the deployment a great time to mentor his younger troops. “The best thing from my time in Iraq was sharing lessons about leadership and life with the younger troops," he said.

As for any deployment it is always a success when everyone returns home safe. “Nobody got hurt,” said Tech. Sgt. Whitten. “For most of the troops this was their first deployment. It was a very good deployment.”