C-17 crew plays part in Marine homecoming

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. Catherine Talento
  • Air Force Print News
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AFNEWS) --  Having left Germany hours earlier, the Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, C-17 Globemaster III, "Spirit of Go for Broke" made the longest journey of her one-week trip to and from Iraq, chasing the setting sun in a 14-and-a-half hour trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Camp Pendleton, Calif. 

About four hours into the journey, the C-17, also know as Reach 5152, rendezvous with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard for a quick fuel offload.

"Air refueling helps us go further and we don't have to stop and spend a lot of time on the ground," said co-pilot 1st Lt. Mike Boyer. "It's more efficient." 

Fully loaded, the crew points the plane toward the continental United States. Down below in the cargo hold are four Marines, members of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 from Camp Pendleton, Calif., who are with rear detachment for their unit.

The two lance corporals and two corporals are tasked with securing and moving the 364th's pallets of equipment back to the United States after the unit's seven-month deployment to Al Taqaddum, Iraq. 

As Lieutenant Boyer and Maj. Landon Henderson, the aircrew commander, begin the descent into California, they are joined in the cockpit by Lance Cpl. Tony Brunson. The Marine from Corona, Calif., scanned the mountains and lakes as the runway approached, signaling the end to his first deployment.

"I thought it was great," Corporal Brunson said. "I'm from California so I got to see a lot of lakes that were familiar and seeing Camp Pendleton as we were flying in made my heart race. I thought it was pretty awesome." 

Homecoming for the Marines was a joyous occasion as family, friends and loved ones embraced their returning servicemembers. For the crew of 5152, homecoming is one night and one more leg away, but being a part of the Marine's homecoming made the wait worthwhile.

"I've been deployed before for about three or four months," said Sergeant Page. "It's the best feeling in the world to see your friends and family so it felt real good to see them happy and alive and well."

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