By David Spunt Reporter
News 3 On Your Side
More than 250 Fort Benning soldiers will wake up this morning with their families for the first time in more than a year.News 3 On Your Side
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Stumble It!News Three was at Fort Benning as more than 170 soldiers from the 598th Maintenance Company made their way into the arms of their families.
The company deployed to Iraq in February of 2007. More than 100 soldiers from Fort Benning's 3rd Brigade also joined the 598th. This is the first group or torch party of 3rd Brigade soldiers returning to Fort Benning.
For many of the soldiers in the 598th Maintenance Company, it's been one year since they've even seen their families.
For Tonya Quesenberry, this moment is all about being patient and knowing good things will come.
“Knowing he's in the other room and I have to be here is killing me, but I’m excited, really excited,” she said.
Quesenberry has been preparing for her husband David's arrival for weeks. News Three caught up with her as she and her two daughters made signs and got the house ready for his big return.
“I'm very proud of my husband. He went over there to do a great job. I'm proud of what he does and what he has done,” she said.
After a year of waiting, Tonya and her daughters went through a sea of soldiers, looking for theirs, and after a few tense moments, they found each other.
“I can't explain what's going on through my mind right now. 15 months is just a long time and I’m just ecstatic to be here,” SSG David Quesenberry said.
After more than 20 years in the Army, Quesenberry is hanging up his Army uniform, leaving him with more time for his family.
“I cannot wait. It's been a long time coming and I've had fun, but its time to go and do bigger and better things,” he said.
And as for Tonya, she's looking forward to that fond farewell to Army life...so she can see more of her husband.
“He looks fantastic, just glad to have him here. He looks great,” she said.
Quesenberry says he'll spend most of Thursday relaxing with his family. As for a career change...that's still up in the air, but he says it will definitely be something that keeps him close to his family.
