More than 200 welcomed at ceremony

More than 200 soldiers with the 5th Engineer Battalion were greeted with the sound of motorcycles and cheers Sunday night after completing a 15-month tour in Iraq.
Nutter Field House was full with the families and friends of those deployed, who waited patiently for their loved one’s return.
Jennifer Baker, wife of SFC Brett Baker, was among those posed in sweet anticipation.
“I want him to be home,” Baker said before the troops arrived. “It’s been long and difficult, but we’ve hung on.”
While this was by  no means her first time separated from her husband, it was one of the hardest ones yet.
“I think this was the most painful deployment,” she said, noting that her husband was set to retire before the call to duty arose. That retirement won’t be postponed much longer, though.
“The Army’s been good to us, but I’m ready for a second life,” she shared.
It hasn’t been easy for the mother of four teenagers, who described the time parenting alone as both “rewarding and chaotic.” 
“(We) definitely need Dad in the picture,” she said.
While deployed, members of the 5th assisted in route clearance and construction operations.
Capt. Joseph Bogart was among those serving in the operation.
His second deployment, Bogart was in charge of synchronizing movements outside the wire.
“It was an intense job,” he said. “It’s good to be home.” 
Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin addressed the troops before releasing them to their families, reminding them to be safe and to continue to watch out for one another.
Taking a moment to remember their fallen comrades, including Spc. Charles Dustin “Dusty” Parrish, who died of injuries sustained in an attack, just weeks before his unit was scheduled to return home, Martin said, “We will never forget those who aren’t with us tonight.” 
The remaining members of the 5th are expected at a later date.