More local soldiers return home from Afghanistan

For the past year, Yorkville resident Rebecca Krause has been waiting patiently for her husband, 1st Sgt. Steve Krause, to return home.

Last August, Steve was deployed to Afghanistan with the Illinois Army National Guard 106th Calvary Squadron as part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

To keep herself busy while her husband was away, Rebecca dedicated her time to supporting fellow Army wives and families as the leader of the Family Readiness Group for the squadron, commonly referred to as Charlie Troop.

Besides acting as a liaison between the Army and members of the FRG, Rebecca is responsible for planning local homecoming celebrations for soldiers and their families.

The most recent event, held Sept. 2 at East Aurora High School, was particularly special for Rebecca because Steve and 41 other soldiers finally returned home.

"I'm so excited to have my husband back," Rebecca said. "It's been such a long year."

While in Afghanistan, Charlie Troop soldiers formed three police mentor teams that trained and worked with the Afghan National Police. They also assisted in patrols and security missions.

The soldiers traveled from Kabul to Kuwait and finally to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin before arriving in Aurora. They were greeted at Tomcat Stadium by hundreds of cheering friends and family members who decorated the stands with balloons, posters and American flags.

The group was the second wave of Charlie Troop to return to Illinois in recent weeks. The first 27 squadron members arrived Aug. 14.

After a brief ceremony on the football field, Rebecca and Steve finally were reunited.

The couple, who have been married since 2006, shared a long embrace before being surrounded by other family members.

"It's such a relief," Steve said. "It's good to have this behind me."

Before his deployment last year, Steve taught social studies at Plainfield North High School. Now that he's back, he plans to take a few weeks to unwind and readjust to life at home.

"It will be nice to be able to just relax with my wife," he said. "I'm looking forward to traveling and reconnecting with her."

Specialist Ben Nolden of Walnut received a warm welcome from his family and a few close friends.

The 20-year-old said he was so eager to get home, he wasn't even looking forward to the ceremony.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," he said. "This is a lot cooler than I thought it would be."

Nolden said he is most looking forward to enjoying the "greener landscape" at home.

"I really want to go golfing," he said. "It's so green, and we didn't have any of that over there."

Though the soldiers and families were all smiles at the event, they were very aware many soldiers remain on duty in Afghanistan.

"As happy as we are to have them home, we have to remember that there are still soldiers over there," Rebecca Krause said. "We need to keep praying for their safe return,"

The soldiers sent to Afghanistan last year were part of the largest overseas deployment of the Illinois National Guard since World War II.

The remaining units of the brigade will return home later this year.