LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Some 500 members of the California National Guard, including some Filipino-Americans, were reunited with their families at the break of dawn at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.
"It's great, this is one of the best places to be living in the US. We went to Iraq took care of what we had to do and we came back," said Sgt 1st Class Robert Argenal as he got off the plane.
Last month, President Barack Obama announced the Iraq war will be over at the end of 2011 and most of the 41,000 US troops serving will be home in time for the holidays. About 5,000 military contractors will remain in Iraq.
"I think for the next three days, you do nothing, you just relax and try to catch up with some of the things I missed throughout the year," said Specialist Melvin Gagarin, who was reunited with his wife.
These army men and women have been away from their families serving in Iraq for the past year.
For Captain Joneo Pier, this was his first deployment and first time away from his wife and three children. "It's difficult especially for her pero ganon talaga, kailangan gawin," he said.
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