JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Airmen with the Florida Air National Guard deployed to train alongside European allies arrived back to their home base in Jacksonville Monday night.
The 125th Fighter Wing returned from a three-month deployment to the welcoming arms of friends and family.
Jamie Shachter, the wife of David Shachter, a pilot who returned Monday evening, told News4Jax how she felt during David's deployment.
"It's been hard that he's away, and the kids miss him, but we've been able to video chat almost every day while he's been gone, so that's made the time go by quickly," Jamie Shachter said.
Jamie explained that even though it was her husband's fourth deployment in his 17-year military career, it was the very first the couple have experienced together, and she can't imagine life without modern technology.
"We always talk with our parents about how different it must have been when they had to just rely on letters, or phone calls even, and we're able to actually see each other every day," she said.
With their dad being back in time for the Fourth of July, Maj. Kevin Wenger's family is celebrating with a staycation.
"It's great to be home, back with the kids and the family, back in Jacksonville. It's been a long time," Wenger said.
Tuesday night, the 200 airmen deployed on the same mission will return to Jacksonville and the home base gets to celebrate all over again.