GERMANY: LOVED ONES GREET U.S. PILOTS ON THEIR RETURN FROM IRAQ.

Record ID: 648013

  • Title: GERMANY: LOVED ONES GREET U.S. PILOTS ON THEIR RETURN FROM IRAQ.
  • Date: 2nd May 2003
  • Summary: (W7) SPANGDAHLEM, GERMANY (MAY 1, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. TWO PLANES IN SKY 2. PLANE LANDING 3. FAMILY MEMBERS WITH U.S. FLAGS STANDING NEAR TARMAC, PAN TO PLANE LANDING 4. MORE FAMILY MEMBERS ARRIVING IN PARKING LOT 5. BUS CARRYING PILOTS ARRIVING, LITTLE BOY RUNNING TOWARDS BUS AND HUGGING HIS FATHER INSIDE BUS 6. FAMILIES HUGGING EACH OTHER 7. COUPLE WITH SMALL BOY TALKING TO EACH OTHER 8. SOUNDBITE (English) HANK REED, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAYING: "Im very, very happy. Its very nice to be back in Germany, to see my family, my boys, and to see my squadron mates and its a wonderful experience." 9. SOUNDBITE (English) DEREK O'MALLEY, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE CAPTAIN SAYING: "Its good to be home. You know, we have been looking forward to this day really since we left. It's an important job we had to go do but boy, it' just good to be home." 10. O'MALLEY'S WIFE WITH SON STANDING BY 11. SOUNDBITE (English) HANK REED, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAYING: "I think we did basically as planned, as briefed, and we are hoping and looking forward to a free Iraq. We have a free Iraq now and now the next step is to let the Iraqis rule Iraq for themselves after we get the infrastructure back." 12. TWO WOMEN HUGGING Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SPANGDAHLEM, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA6KN18ZXQDGD8TVCEDPQEPSCFS
  • Story Text: United States Air Force members and their F-16CJ
    aircraft from the 52nd Fighter Wing have returned to Germany
    from an "Operation Iraqi Freedom" deployment.



    Twenty-four American fighter planes landed at
    Spangdahlem U.S. Air Base in western Germany on Thursday
    (May 1) as family members welcomed home the pilots, waving
    U.S. flags.

    Women and children stood near the tarmac as the planes
    touched down carrying pilots some of whom had been in the Gulf
    region since January.

    "Im very, very happy. Its very nice to be back in Germany,
    to see my family, my boys," said Hank Reed, a lieutenant
    colonel with the U.S. Air Force.

    "We have a free Iraq now and now the next step is to let
    the Iraqis rule Iraq for themselves after we get the
    infrastructure back," Reed told reporters upon his return.

    Air Force Captain Derek O'Malley admitted that "We have
    been looking forward to this day really since we left. It's an
    important job we had to go do but boy, it's just good to be
    home."
    The U.S. Air Force asked not to reveal where in the Gulf
    the planes took off from.



  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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