The Squadron was 600 strong when they left over a year ago for a tour of duty in Afghanastan. It was an especially hard tour with 143 wounded and receiving the Purple Heart and another 8 that perished.
Our regional Quilts of Valor leader headed up the effort to collect enough quilts to give every single soldier in the Squadron a quilt to welcome them home.
We came from Wichita area and Kansas City area to meet in Junction City. We were escorted to Ft. Riley by the local police and the American Legion Riders. The 600 quilts filled a large moving van.
What an honor to meet the young men and women who are putting themselves in harms way for us!
I can only hope that they remember this day and how much we care.
http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/state/kansas/quilts-of-valor-welcomes-home-hundreds-of-fort-riley-soldiers
Each soldier was given the opportunity to choose their own quilt, then one of the quilters added their name to the quilt using permanent ink pens adding a personal touch to the presentation.
The following link reported by Lindsey Rogers from WIBW:
"These men and women did incredible. They faced a tough, entrenched Taliban enemy that had been there for many years. The Taliban there fought in places their fathers and grandfathers fought in against the Soviets in the 1980s," said 4-4 Cav's Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Katona.
More pictures taken by Sgt Huggins at the event and posted on the 1st Div facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.385183334846217.94817.129814630383090&type=1
And more pictures taken by retired medic Mindy King:
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