First wave returns

About 20 deployed airmen fly into MacDill Air Force Base on Friday and bask in the welcomes of dozens of friends, family and fellow airmen.

TAMPA -Through all the flags and the cheers, all the hugs and the high fives, Capt. Benjamin Ward's faded blue baseball cap said it best.

"Life is good."

"That's my motto," Ward said as he hugged his wife, Courtney, moments after landing at MacDill Air Force Base. "It's hard not to smile right now."

Ward was one of about 20 deployed airmen who flew into MacDill Air Force Base on Friday, the first wave of Tampa soldiers to return from the war in Iraq.

Dozens of friends, family and fellow airmen welcomed back the two planes with signs, American flags and a whole lot of hugging.

"It's good to be back, for every single reason you could possibly come up with," said Capt. Clinton Saffo, his arms around girlfriend Kristy Barnette.

It wasn't just husbands and wives reconnecting. Levon Smith was there to greet his roommate and best friend, Master Airman Paul Kragthorpe, with a bear hug. The reunion was perfectly timed. Smith, also a master airman stationed at MacDill, was recently reassigned to a base in Germany. He is scheduled to leave in three days.

"He got here just in time," Smith said.

The homecoming brought generations together.

Master Sgt. Joe Maltese Jr., the first to exit a second plane that arrived early Friday evening, ran straight into the arms of his young son, Joe III. His father, Joe Sr., a Korean War veteran, looked on with pride.

"It's such a relief for him to be home," he said. "I'm proud of the whole service, the whole country. I'm so proud of the job they did."

The airmen came from England, with a stop at Robins Air Force Base near Macon, Ga., to drop off troops based there.

Once the planes landed at MacDill, the eager airmen leaned from the side cargo deck to catch a glimpse of their welcome wagon. Then they marched from the planes in order, but, once they met their families, everyone melted together in a mass of hugs, kisses and tears.

Judy Wood of Bath, Maine, drove three days to greet her son, First Lt. Don Landgrebe of Brandon. Major Alan Coker missed 1-year-old son Jacob's first steps, but as soon as he landed, they walked off together with Coker's wife, Dee.

Even the MacDill personnel on hand couldn't help but get a little misty-eyed.

"You feel so happy for them," said MacDill spokesman Lt. Michal Kloeffler. "You almost feel a tear come down."

Charlotte Gellis, the wife of Staff Sgt. Joseph Gellis, couldn't believe it was happening until her husband walked off the plane. "Once I actually saw his face, that's when it really hit: "Oh my God, he's actually here!' " she said.

Reunion was on the minds of everyone, but Capt. Ward had one last duty to perform. He piloted the last plane in, and he was asked to dip his wings and circle the base as the crowd cheered below.

"What was going through my mind was, "Don't mess up - everyone's looking,' " he said.

His wife, Courtney, looked up at him and smiled.

"You did a good job," she said.

- Times photographer Toni Sandys contributed to this report.

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