Indiana National Guardsman with the 38th Infantry Division arrive home Tuesday, March 31, 2020 to Indianapolis after a nine-month deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
The 38th Infantry Division left in May 2019 for nine months to provide a U.S. military posture in the Middle East and to strengthen defense relationships while building partner capacity.
Before coming home, all soldiers spent two weeks in quarantine at Fort Hood, Texas to ensure the health and safety of all soldiers before returning to their families. The remaining 38th Infantry Division soldiers are returning home in multiple iterations throughout the month.
“When you think about the whole process of leaving the Middle East and coming home, it took teams of people working around the clock to get us here safely,” said Staff Sgt. Jessica Teegarden, a member of 38th Infantry Division’s command support staff. “Their sacrifices made all the difference and I’m more thankful for that then any type of formal ceremony.”
Teegarden also expressed her thankfulness for Fort Hood’s staff ensuring their safe return.
These Guardsmen didn’t receive a traditional homecoming ceremony. Instead, loved ones waited in their vehicles for the long-awaited arrival of their soldiers in order to ensure that everyone maintained the social distancing guidelines set forth by the Centers of Disease Control and Governor Holcomb.
“This is definitely a different type homecoming experience,” said Sgt. First Class Marquitta Newett, budget analyst for the 38th Infantry Division. “However, I do have a multigenerational home to include seniors, so I’m very grateful for the steps that were taken so I don’t put them at risk.”
