Marine gets special welcome home to Batavia

Kathy Tobusch has sent hundreds of care packages all over the world to men and women in the military, organized homecoming events and decorated the homes for returning troops.

But Saturday's welcome home party in Batavia was extra special for the co-chair of the Fox Valley Troop Support. Her son, Marine Sgt. Alex Tobusch, was the one coming home.

"It is an awesome feeling, and I hope every mother who has a son or daughter in the military gets the chance to experience it," Kathy Tobusch said. "I don't know if I can describe what this means to me. It is great to see everyone show up. It's just awesome to me and is extremely touching."

Alex Tobusch, 23, returned last month to the U.S. from his third deployment with the Marines. He arrived Wednesday in Batavia and said he was not expecting the raucous welcome home.

"This is a big event, and I have never had anything like this before," said Alex Tobusch, who spent seven months with the LS Platoon stationed in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. "It means a lot and is awesome."

The Fox Valley Troop Support is a group that supports U.S. military service members overseas through writing letters, sending care packages and lending a hand to family members. To coincide with Armed Forces Day on Saturday, Fox Valley Troop Support also organized a care package event at the Batavia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.

Alex Tobusch said he was sitting in front of his Batavia house Saturday morning wearing a pair of basketball shorts when about 15 motorcycles from the Warriors Watch Riders came whipping around the corner. He said that's when he knew the party was on.

Also on hand to join the celebration was Drew Montgomery, 24, of Naperville, who served with Alex Tobusch in Afghanistan.

"It means a lot that people actually came out and supported us," Montgomery said. "With all of the bad stuff you see on the news, it is nice to know people care."

The two men will return to base at Camp Pendleton in California in the coming weeks.

Welcome: Man served three tours in Afghanistan