National Guard unit returns home after service in Kosovo
BY ERIN PATTESON, Californian staff writer epatteson@bakersfield.com
After waiting 13 months for their relatives to return, a crowd gathered outside the Bakersfield Armory had to wait a little longer than anticipated Wednesday night.
The flight carrying the nearly 100 returning soldiers from the National Guard's Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Armored Regiment was delayed, which meant their arrival at the armory was put off by about two hours.
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Casey Christie / The Californian California National Guard Spc. Jesus Perez, gives his 4 month old son, Jesse, a kiss, Wednesday evening at the National Guard Armory on South P Street. Perez along with nearly 100 soldiers with the California National Guard's Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Armored Regiment returned home Wednesday after serving a yearlong deployment to Kosovo.
Casey Christie / The Californian Nancy Sandoval, left, was waiting with her two children, Kharisma, left, and J.J. right, at the South P Street National Guard Armory, Wednesday evening for her husband, Spc. Jose Sandoval, 22, a Highland High graduate. The children were glad to see their father who served in the California National Guard's Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Armored Regiment after a yearlong deployment to Kosovo.
Casey Christie / The Californian D.J. Taylor and his family came out to support the troops who returned from a yearlong deployment in Kosovo. About 100 soldiers returned to the California National Guard Armory on Wednesday. He was holding an American flag in the dim lights.
The waiting group of parents, siblings, spouses and children holding signs and American flags grew more and more restless as the minutes turned to hours.
Michelle Nobles of Bakersfield was eagerly awaiting the return of her husband, Staff Sgt. John Nobles.
"I'm excited! I have butterflies!" she said.
Nobles waited with her three grandchildren. Her son-in-law is also in the Army, and she had already made plans to baby-sit the children when she found out her husband would be returning Wednesday.
Erica Perez from Wasco also waited for the return of her husband, Spc. Jesus Perez. Their two young children, Jacob and Jesse, waiting too. On her shirt, she had written "My soldier, me hero, my everything. I am a proud Amy wife."
"I'm looking forward to just going out as a family," Perez said.
When the buses carrying the soldiers finally pulled up, the crowd erupted in cheers and shouts of "Welcome home!"
Once all the soldiers were off the buses, they lined up inside the armory where Brigade Cmdr. Lisa Costanza told platoon sergeants to officially dismiss the troops.
Jesus Perez's older son was a little confused when he spotted his dad.
"He doesn't recognize me," Perez said.
But of returning home, Perez simply said, "I'm really happy."
Now that he is back, he plans to attend Bakersfield College to major in criminal justice.
Lisa Schmidt, the battalion family readiness coordinator, said the regiment was deployed to Kosovo to perform presence patrols, provide transportation for the light infantry battalion to which they were attached and conduct humanitarian aid missions.
Korean War veteran Kenneth R. Raymond is a field service officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. His post adopted Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Armored Regiment to support the soldiers and their families.
"I was here when they left and I'll be here when they get back," he said while he waited for the soldiers to arrive.
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