Returning Soldiers Get Warm Welcome At Airport

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Somewhere in the phalanx of rollaway suitcases at Pittsburgh International Airport, a family greets a soldier home from the war.

Specialist Dustin Schumacher has been away from his wife Emily for nine long months.

"We were just in Afghanistan," Dustin says, "and it feels great to be back. It's kind of an odd feeling. It really hasn't begun to sink in yet."

His wife, Emily, says that when her first thought was, "Oh my gosh, is this real? I'm really seeing him in person. It's been a long time."

Soldiers grab their duffel bags, and reconnect with friends and family.

But Specialist Ian Slack says his family is stuck in Fort Pitt Tunnel traffic.

"Can't wait to see my family," he says. "Can't wait to see my fiancée, my mom, my brothers. It's been way too long."

Ian receives text message updates from his fiancée, as fellow soldiers headed for home.

When it seems that he can wait no longer, fiancée Amanda Harris bursts through the door and leaps into his arms. Yet she was stuck in traffic not that long ago.

"It was terrible," she admits. "But we made it. That's all that counts. We made it."

They're wedding will take place Aug. 5. It's a date sealed with a kiss.

RELATED LINKS:
More Local News
More Reports by Dave Crawley