Soldiers happy to be home

Arriving back in Utah for the first time in nine months, Sgt. Adam Hunsaker had mixed feelings about the situation in Iraq.

There's definitely a good feeling about positive changes, said the Roy resident. As part of his assignment with the Utah National Guard's 300th Military Intelligence Brigade, he was able to interview hundreds of Iraqis.

Hunsaker and 20 other members of the unit landed at Salt Lake International Airport Sunday afternoon. They were greeted by family, friends and uniformed Guard members.

Most Iraqis don't want the United States to stay a long time in their country, Hunsaker said. "But they want us there now." If the United States were to pull out right away, he said, Iraqis believe it would be bad.

"Probably 95 percent of them have said so, that it would be bad if we were to go now."

Hunsaker was filled with mixed emotions: excitement to be home, good feelings about the positive changes he has seen in Iraq, but also worried about the possibility of a quagmire.

Dressed in desert khakis, an arm around his wife, Jennifer, and cradling their son, Michael, he noted that Sunday was Michael's first birthday. Although the unit was overseas for about a year, most members were able to come home on leave.

"I saw him (Michael) a couple of days at his birth and two weeks on leave in March," he said, then marveled, "This kid has grown so much."

The unit worked with the 250th Military Intelligence Battalion, California National Guard. According to a press release from Utah Guard Major Hank McIntire, "Their duties included working with the local populace to cultivate information sources necessary to protect U.S. and allied personnel."

After leaving the Middle East, the soldiers underwent demobilization processing at Fort Lewis, Wash. They flew to Utah aboard a commercial airliner.

"It feels really good" to be home, said Sgt. James Grammer, Roy, who was met by wife Leah and sons James, 2, and Tommy, 9 months.

He is positive about his role in Iraq, which he described as "just helping the cause, helping the fight for freedom."

Leah Grammer note that of the 21 soldiers, seven had children born while they were in Iraq, one got married and one became engaged. Because of visits home, all except one soldier were able to see their new children.