CANTON, Ga-- Hundreds of Georgia soldiers are making the transition from harm's way, to arm's way as hugs awaited their return from Afghanistan.
In Canton, 12-year-old Douglas Satterfield waited in front of the National Guard armory for his hero.
"He's always been a great dad," says Satterfield. "The world's greatest dad ever. He's never let anybody down."
Sgt. Chris Satterfield is part of the National Guard's 48th Brigade that returned from war after a year's deployment. Bus loads of soldiers were greeted by cheering family in Canton, Rome, Cedartown, and Calhoun. A total of 3-thousand members of the 48th will return to Georgia between now and the end of the month.
Phoebe Collett can't even say Afghanistan. She was one when dad, Sgt. Craig Collett, left home.
"She's cried a lot," says Samantha Collett, Phoebe's mother. "'I want my daddy, I miss my daddy, when's daddy coming home?' There have been a lot of tears."
The tears ended for the Collett's and others when a caravan of buses, led by Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputies, rolled through the town of Canton and into the armory parking lot.
It has not just been a long year for the soldiers and their families. It has also been a painful one. The 48th Brigade lost eight members during their year in training Afghan security and police.
Zach Melder is one of the soldiers who did return. He came back to Georgia to see his 8-month-old son for only the second time.
"It's amazing, absolutely amazing," says Melder. "I just can't tell you how happy I am to be able to see my family again."
When 12-year-old Douglas Satterfield was reunited with his father, the two locked in a long firm hug.
"I hope he never leaves again," the youngster quipped as others took turns getting their hugs.
It's going to be hard for Sgt. Satterfield to go anywhere now that he's locked in the embrace of home.
