D-M airmen return from deployment in time for holidays

Published: Dec. 10, 2015 at 6:29 PM MST|Updated: Mar. 2, 2018 at 4:18 PM MST
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Families wait for their loved ones at Davis-Monthan. (Source: Tucson News Now)
Families wait for their loved ones at Davis-Monthan. (Source: Tucson News Now)
"Look, somebody's daddy is in there," said this mom, joined by her 3 boys. (Source: Tucson...
"Look, somebody's daddy is in there," said this mom, joined by her 3 boys. (Source: Tucson News Now)

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - A group of rescue airmen deployed from the 79th Rescue Squadron and 923rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Davis-Monthan returned home just in time to kick off the holidays.

According to a Davis-Monthan spokesperson, this will be the first time in five years that all members of the 79th and 923rd Squadrons will be home to celebrate the holidays.

"Our anniversary is in two weeks and Christmas right after that so, I couldn't ask for a better arrival date," said Kimberly Ritter, whose husband was gone for four months.

Thirty-six airmen arrived shortly after 3 p.m. on Dec. 10. The airmen were sent out on a 3-month deployment to southwest Asia in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Two HC-1306 aircraft also returned home.

For Capt. Daniel Ritter, the support of his family is what keeps him going when he's deployed for long periods of time.

Ritter's wife, Kimberly, waited for his arrival with their three daughters by her side.

"Coming home, it makes it all worth it," said Kimberly Ritter, who decorated a wagon with a "Welcome Home" sign for her daughters to play in. "All the tears and bedtime and hair tangle brushing, it's all over because they're back."

For mothers like Anne Lucas, whose husband was deployed for a little over two months, each time her husband leaves is always an adjustment.

"It's not easy," she said. "So, we just want to spend more time with the family, especially the kids. They want to spend as much time with daddy as much as possible."

Davis-Monthan spokesperson Capt. Casey Osbourne said D-M airmen come home quite frequently, whether it's in large groups or individually.

Osbourne said the next time a large group will be returning home will be sometime in Spring 2016.

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