WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |Family waits for soldiers return
CAMP DOUGLAS, Wisconsin (WXOW) -- After a year in Iraq, more Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are on their way home from active duty.
Troops from the 128th Infantry returned home Monday.
Darlene Skroch waits patiently on the Volk Field tarmac.
"I just can't wait to see him," Darlene says.
She holds a sign on a piece of thick cardboard.
"It's just a waiting game ya know?" she says.
With her hood, gloves and ear muffs keeping her warm, Darlene keeps a keen eye on the buses hauling soldiers from the jet.
"He's gotta be here. No question about it," Darlene says. "I won't accept anything but."
At 2:15 p.m., that jet landed.
The family spreads out to find Staff Sgt. Jeremy Skroch sooner.
"Well I thought I see him," Darlene says.
He came off one of the last buses.
"There he is!" Darlene says. "You wanna come with me?"
Jeremy is one of 290 soldiers returning home from the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 128th Infantry.
He's part of the Charlie Company based out of Arcadia.
Jeremy spent one year in Iraq for this tour. It was easier than his last.
"Well it was only 12 months instead of 18 months, and there wasn't as much activity," Jeremy says.
But it was still time away from his wife Stacy and his boys ages 3, 6 and 9.
Jeremy was able to take leave during October to see his sons for Halloween.
"I had batman. I had Spiderman. He was a Jedi; my wife made a Jedi costume for him," Jeremy says.
"After he went back, came home for leave and then went back for the couple months yet, that time frame I think was the hardest for me, mostly because my children are older and they do understand a lot of what's going on," Jeremy's wife Stacy says.
That time away changed Jeremy as a father.
"How I changed, it's really brought to my attention some of the things I've missed doing with my boys and some more stuff that I should be doing with them," Jeremy says.
That time home will strengthen Jeremy's family.
Jeremy is part of the second wave of soldiers being brought home from Iraq.
The soldiers of the 128th are members of the larger 32nd Infantry Brigade.
The rest of that brigade will return home throughout January.
Twitter: wxow_GErickson
