Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
900 Soldiers Based at Ft. Stewart Come Home
Aired July 06, 2003 - 18:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: There is no doubt it is an extra sweet Fourth of July weekend for about 900 soldiers based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Today and last night they came home after spending six months deployed in Iraq.
CNN's David Mattingly was there to witness their emotional reunions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fort Stewart, Georgia is home to part of the 3rd Infantry Division. Those were the soldiers who literally led the charge from Kuwait all the way into Baghdad where now some of the soldiers who were responsible for keeping the 3rd Infantry moving are now getting to come home.
(voice-over): The first arrivals of what will be 900 members of a 24-core support group walked in to cheers, tears, and those all important welcome home hugs and kisses. These men and women had the difficult jobs of making sure troops had water, food, things like gasoline, mail service and communications.
Right up to the front lines in some cases, they were literally the lifeline for soldiers in combat but now these support troops are very thankful for the support that they're getting here.
How does it feel to be home mom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no word to explain it, no word at all. I'm just happy to be home with her and my mom, that's all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great, like unbelievable. We've been waiting a long time, six months, six months since we left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need a couple days off, chill with my family, eat real food and be back to work.
MATTINGLY: This support group had been in Kuwait for at least a month waiting for orders to come home. The group is relatively small compared to the 14,000 or so soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division that has yet to return to Fort Stewart.
(on camera): In fact, the families of those soldiers were deeply disappointed last month to learn that their loved ones were not going to be coming home soon, having a new mission of peacekeeping.
David Mattingly, CNN, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 6, 2003 - 18:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: There is no doubt it is an extra sweet Fourth of July weekend for about 900 soldiers based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Today and last night they came home after spending six months deployed in Iraq.
CNN's David Mattingly was there to witness their emotional reunions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fort Stewart, Georgia is home to part of the 3rd Infantry Division. Those were the soldiers who literally led the charge from Kuwait all the way into Baghdad where now some of the soldiers who were responsible for keeping the 3rd Infantry moving are now getting to come home.
(voice-over): The first arrivals of what will be 900 members of a 24-core support group walked in to cheers, tears, and those all important welcome home hugs and kisses. These men and women had the difficult jobs of making sure troops had water, food, things like gasoline, mail service and communications.
Right up to the front lines in some cases, they were literally the lifeline for soldiers in combat but now these support troops are very thankful for the support that they're getting here.
How does it feel to be home mom?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no word to explain it, no word at all. I'm just happy to be home with her and my mom, that's all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great, like unbelievable. We've been waiting a long time, six months, six months since we left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need a couple days off, chill with my family, eat real food and be back to work.
MATTINGLY: This support group had been in Kuwait for at least a month waiting for orders to come home. The group is relatively small compared to the 14,000 or so soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division that has yet to return to Fort Stewart.
(on camera): In fact, the families of those soldiers were deeply disappointed last month to learn that their loved ones were not going to be coming home soon, having a new mission of peacekeeping.
David Mattingly, CNN, Fort Stewart, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
