It was a celebration of friends and family at the National Guard Armory in Glen Jean on Sunday.
For some it was a warm hello and welcome home; but for others, it was goodbye.
"It's the best thing you could ever see. You can see them on Skype. there are things now we're lucky to have. To actually hold them and hug them, it's tremendous feeling," said Lt. Col. Donald Rakes on seeing his family for the first time after returning from overseas.
With the war in Iraq winding down, Rakes and his family have weathered multiple deployments over the past decade.
"A lot of soldiers are younger. They just recently got married. They've got young kids. Just being away from them. It's hard when you're together and it's even harder when you're apart," adds Rakes.
It's not over yet. Although the war in Afghanistan is no longer making headlines, Rakes said the U.S. is still maintaining a strong presence there, with two more West Virginia National Guard units headed out next month.
"Fortunately, we don't have to deal with what they dealt with in the past. You left and 18 months later you return, with your family never having heard from you. Today's soldiers don't even realize the sacrifices the old guys had to make," said Rakes.
According to Public Affairs Officer Debbie Voloski, the strain of the two wars on military families has been considerable, with the VA providing marriage counselors specifically trained to help couples with the transition.
"I think the V-A has recognized that divorce is a big issue because of the lack of communication. So we have counselors now to help families through the transition," adds Voloski.
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