Members of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team will land at Hunter Airfield in Savannah early Tuesday as the brigade starts returning home from Afghanistan after a yearlong mission, said Kevin Larson, chief of public affairs for Fort Stewart.
About 175 members of the 3,200-soldier brigade are expected to land about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
They are scheduled to reunite with their families and friends about 2:30 a.m. after being transported by buses to Cottrell Field at Fort Stewart, Larson said.
The rest of the brigade will return in groups through early April. The first unit to return is the 118th Field Artillery Unit from Savannah.
The 48th brigade, based in Macon, shipped out to Afghanistan last February. Their mission was to train Afghanistan’s police and security forces.
Eight soldiers from the 48th died in Afghanistan. Seven were killed in combat and one in a vehicle rollover.
This was the second tour of duty in the Mideast for the 48th. In May 2005, the brigade deployed to Iraq to fight insurgents, train Iraqi soldiers and guard U.S. supply convoys. The brigade also helped secure polling places for Iraqis to vote in the nation's constitutional referendum.
The brigade started returning from its Iraq mission in April 2006. Twenty-six members died.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
