Everyone in attendance of the welcoming home ceremony

Everyone in attendance of the welcoming home ceremony renders respect to the American Flag while the National Anthem was played during a welcome home ceremony held at Cottrell field, March, 7. Fifty soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment “Battlekings”, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, returned home March, 7, after being deployed for more than six months in Afghanistan. The soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in order to help train Afghan Security Forces in the International Security Assistance Forces’ Regional Command-East. The returning soldiers represent approximate half of the total deployed Battlekings, and are home earlier then expected due to mission accomplishment. The Battlekings who are still deployed are expected to stay until later this year. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Richard Wrigley, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Division, Public Affairs)