Members of the US Air Force (USAF) 2nd Bomb Wing (BW) and US Air Force Reserve (USAFR) 917th Wing, returned home from a deployment in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, to a Heroes Homecoming Celebration at Hoban Hall at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana (LA)

Iraq War aka Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, under the code-name "Operation Iraqi Freedom". 248,000 soldiers from the United States, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers and 194 Polish soldiers from Special Forces unit GROM sent to Kuwait for the invasion. The invasion force was also supported by Iraqi Kurdish militia troops, estimated to number upwards of 70,000.