Heroes Welcoming Heroes says thanks

  • Published
  • By Cindy Holbrook
  • For the Skywrighter
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  It was a night where Airmen who have returned from deployment could relax, win some prizes and enjoy time with their family.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force served as the site Oct. 9 for Heroes Welcoming Heroes (HWH), an event that lets Airmen know that not only their families, but the rest of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the community, appreciate what they do to serve and protect the nation.

More than 200 Airmen were welcomed home from deployment in a special community and family-friendly evening of food, fun, door prizes, music, support resources and fellowship.

"We went with more of a relaxed theme tonight," said Capt. Tiffany Peters, one of the many HWH organizers. "It's been a year and a half since the last one. The last event was in 2013. It's as much of a thank you to the family as it is to the   member who was deployed. We wanted to make sure the event was family-oriented and had a relaxing environment."

The Heroes Welcoming Heroes program began in October 2005 and has seen the recognition of more than 6,000 participants. It is planned and coordinated by Department of Defense civilian and military personnel as well as community partners who wish to show support for military members and their families. A key theme of Heroes Welcoming Heroes is smooth reintegration and reunion for military members to ease their transition back home with family and friends following the rigors and stresses of deployment.

"It's a great event to pay tribute to those men and women who have returned from a deployment," said Col.   John Devillier, 88th Air Base Wing commander. "We want to thank them for what they do and thank their families   for their support and sacrifice. Having deployed myself, I think an event like this sends a great message from the local   community and from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It's an indication of how much the Miami Valley appreciates Wright-Patt. This is just a small token of our appreciation to say thank you for what you do. We cannot say 'thank you' enough."

Wright-Patterson AFB is a key expeditionary platform, with several hundred Airmen deployed on any given day   to Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations. The majority of Airmen deploy for four to six months. Many base Airmen, serving in high-operational tempo career fields like security forces, intelligence, and contracting, have deployed multiple times.

"We had 36 different sponsors pitch in and we were     expecting close to 200 guests," Devillier added about HWH. "Approximately 1,100 Airmen have returned since our last event in 2013. While every base in the Air Force has some kind of ceremony, ours is one of kind in terms of sheer support from the local community and mission partners on Wright-Patt. This is a great event and a great way to thank these Airmen and their families for what they do for us as a nation."

There were several local companies that donated food for the evening. Also making a special appearance and taking over as crowd pleasers were Cincinnati Reds mascots Rosie Red, Mr. Redlegs and Gapper.

The Dayton Dragons mascot Gem also joined in along with mascots from   Texas Roadhouse and Chick- Fil-A.

"This was an opportunity to thank the deployers for their efforts," said Tavonne Allen-Bridges, another of the evening's organizers. "This event is a way to help families reconnect. There are more than 50 door prizes that were donated."

Flashback, an '80s-'90s rock group, jammed throughout the event. Clowns, who did face painting and balloon animals, were also on hand, and a photo booth was set up for children and their families to do fun pictures.

"It's refreshing to see the base put forth such an effort to welcome us back home," said Capt. Jimmy Oxendine from HQ Air Force Materiel Command.   He was deployed to Jordan and returned in June.

"I had never been there, and it was a unique and great opportunity. I mostly worked with the Army. It was my second deployment," Oxendine said.

"My daughter was three weeks old when I left," he added. "We used Skype and Facetime a lot so we could communicate."