Soldiers' return marks first wave of homecomings

Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Co) Feb. 3, 2006
With sirens from their police escort blaring, horns honking, cheers and an erupting water cannon, dozens of soldiers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment arrived at this post late Thursday, marking the first wave of homecomings for thousands serving their second tour in Iraq since 2003.
About 90 soldiers in three buses arrived shortly before 9 p.m.
They were whisked to an area of the base where they were to turn in their weapons and other gear before being reunited with their families, Fort Carson spokeswoman Dee McNutt said.
The 5,200-soldier regiment's latest mission, which began with their deployment in March, was counterinsurgency and security missions in southern Baghdad and northwestern Iraq.
Fort Carson spokesman 1st Lt. Justin Journeay said 39 soldiers from the regiment were killed during the latest deployment.
A large crowd gathered for a ceremony celebrating the soldiers' return