Around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, the massive door to the aircraft hangar lurched open and almost 70 Colorado Army National Guardsmen marched through to raucous applause.
Several minutes passed before the cheering and applause stopped.
The soldiers of Detachment 1, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 135th General Support Aviation had spent the bulk of their one-year deployment in Afghanistan, operating Chinook helicopters. The massive helicopters are vital to moving troops and equipment around a country without many highways.
Wednesday’s ceremony marked the homecoming for the troops, many of whom have also served in Iraq.
“This is our family, and we are so happy to have them home,” Maj. Gen. H. Michael Edwards, Adjutant General of Colorado, told the crowd that packed metal bleachers in the hangar.
Gov. John Hickenlooper also addressed the crowd Wednesday, thanking the soldiers for their service and accepting a Colorado flag that flew with the unit in Afghanistan from Capt. Anthony Morrison, detachment commander.
Throughout the deployment, the Guardsmen flew more than 6,000 hours, transported more than 48,000 troops, and moved more than 6.5 million pounds of cargo, the statement said.
The unit suffered one combat loss when Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dave Carter was killed in action along with 30 service members Aug. 6 when their helicopter was shot down over Wardak province.
The loss of the popular Chinook pilot hung over Wednesday’s ceremony.
“He was the heart and soul of our Colorado company,” Lt. Col. Eric Monteith said.
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