LAYTON, UTAH (ABC 4 News) –There were tears of joy Saturday morning at Hill Air Force Base. A much anticipated plane touched down ending months of deployment, just in time for Easter.
Nearly 200 Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing returned to Utah after more than a half year of hard work at the Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea.
They are pilots, and maintenance personnel, but Saturday they were honored as husbands, fathers, brothers and sons.
Chris Kyle says words can't describe his emotions as the plane landed and he saw his young family. “It’s like you don't know what to do. Your heart starts fluttering, and it's like you have seen them for the first time again.”
The 421st Fighter Squadron is one of eight assigned to fly, and maintain F-16's worldwide. Brandon Overton says it’s hard to be away from his wife and children, but the service the Airmen provide is important to the security of the nation. "It’s something I know I have to do. It's something that they know I have to do."
Sergeant Brandon Overton says it's a job that's important to do well. He maintains F-16 ejection mechanisms. “There’s a sense of accomplishment when things go bad and the pilot still lives.”
But Saturday, the focus was not on security, safety, or fighter jets. Surrounded by loved ones, Chris Kyle says there is just one place the Airmen want to go. "Go home."
