Happy returns
<p>Staff Sergeant Chris Abbott smiles at his wife Gina Abbott after taking a ride in his 1981 Corvette for the first time after returning home from an 9-month deployment in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Gina Abbott posted signs on her house and down the block welcoming back her husband, Staff Sgt, Chris Abbott, who returned home from Afghanistan after a nine-month deployment.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - The signs and yellow ribbons along Apperson Drive indicated it was a very special day for several families in North Idaho: Their heroes had come home.
Twenty-five United States Army soldiers from Kootenai County all safely returned to their loved ones Friday afternoon after nearly a year away from home. The soldiers spent two months training in Fort Bliss, Texas, followed by a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Friends and family members eagerly waited to see the heroes from the 455th Engineer Company as the plane landed at a private hangar at the Spokane International Airport.
"It was really cool, really emotional," said Courtney Clawson of Rathdrum, who is the wife of Spc. Dalton Clawson. "When they got off, I was excited. Super nervous. My whole body was shaking - I had butterflies."
Courtney and Dalton's son, Barrett, was only 3 months old when Dalton deployed. Now, at 15 months, he has taken his first steps and is toddling along.
"When he left, we were putting a pillow around him to support his back," she said. "And now he can walk."
On Apperson Drive, the Abbotts had a happy homecoming as Staff Sgt. Chris Abbott of Coeur d'Alene reunited with his wife, Gina, and sons Warren, 16, and Evan Blankenship, 13. Gina and the kids placed the signs and ribbons, including a large sign over the garage that read, "The man of this house is back."
"We made the signs and decorated the street for him, so that way, all the way down the street, he knew that he was missed," she said. "I would have liked to do the whole neighborhood, but I didn't want to get too carried away."
"It was definitely nice to get back," said Chris, who has been with the Active Guard Reserve for 13 years. The deployment was his first time overseas and his first time being away from his family for so long.
A random vehicle pulled up to the Abbotts' driveway as they unloaded Chris' belongings.
"Thank you for your service," the female driver yelled to Chris.
"Welcome home, there, sergeant," her male passenger yelled.
Chris thanked them as he received hugs from his wife, sons and family friend Mandi Thompson. Chris, 37, and Gina, 36, have been married about a year, but together more than four. Gina beamed as she discussed their relationship.
"We live like we're married every day. We didn't feel like we needed to get married, then he was deployed," she said. "He wanted to leave a wife, not a girlfriend, so we got married."
More than 100 soldiers from the "Wolfpack" unit were responsible for route clearance patrols, engineering missions, training locals and security. Chris said although his unit was not targeted by hostile forces, they were watched closely and he feels the tough times over there are "far from over."
"We're pulling up stakes and we're leaving, which, especially after seeing what happened in Iraq, I hate to say it, but you wonder if we really did anything over there," he said. "Where I was at in the south, we're all but gone, and everything's pretty much going back to the way it was, if it ever changed to begin with.
"I mean, we did what we were called to do, we went over there - that's what we do as soldiers. Hopefully, things will be positive and they'll have a good result there in Afghanistan, I'm hoping, but we'll see. Only time will tell, of course."
All of Chris' cares seemed to evaporate as he jumped into his brilliant yellow 1981 Corvette and revved the engine, something he hasn't done in quite a while.