All of the emails, all of the long distance phone calls, all of those times when they wished that their loved ones were home, all of those nights spend worrying, all of those months gone by...and finally they are home. I had the honor of photographing this special event for a young lady named Katie who was axiously awaiting her boyfriend, Frank, to get home. Frank serves in the Delta Company out of 29 Palms, CA and had been in Afghanistan for the past year.

I drove out to the desert filled with anticipation and excitement which was amplified even more as I passed the 3 buses about 40 miles outside of the base. I had to choke back tears when I saw people standing on the street corners, still 20 miles from base, holding flags and signs saying, "Welcome Home, Troops!" I'm not very familiar with military life, heck, I'd never even been on a base before, but something that I do know is that I am forever grateful for the service and sacrafice of these young men and women. It was truly an honor to have been a part of this special day.