Green Country Families Welcome Home Members Of 45th

From the frontline to the home front, 170 more soldiers are now back with their families. They're members of the 45th just returned from Afghanistan.

Many of the soldiers who arrived Friday had been away from home for a year or in some cases more, so the homecoming was filled with lots of smiles, hugs and of course, tears.

It was a morning packed full of emotion. More than 170 Oklahoma soldiers marched back into the lives of their families and friends.

"It's been very hard, like thinking that he may not come home, so it's been hard," said Dina Frazier, soldier's wife.

But now the hard part's over, Morgann Frazier is back in the arms of her father. Master Sergeant Mitchell Frazier has been away from his home in Chandler for more than a year.

He's holding his family tighter than ever and ready to make up for lost time.

"I've missed a lot and I've got two months to make it up and that's gonna start today," Sergeant Frazier said.

Leading this group of men and women is Brigade Commander Colonel Joel Ward. This was his third and final deployment. A mission he considers to be one of his hardest.

Colonel Ward is one of only three brigade commanders from the 45th's Thunderbirds to take his unit to war. Five soldiers from his brigade did not make it home.

"Unfortunately when you're in the kind of fight that we were in, you take casualties," Colonel Ward said.

The Colonel is set to retire in July. But he's not finished fighting yet. He's also a Tulsa Police Officer, where he works with the gang unit. A job where he'll still face danger, but in the eyes of his wife, at least he'll be home.

But before he hits the pavement, he's going to take a break to enjoy his family and more importantly - grab a bite to eat.

More soldiers will be welcomed home Saturday.