SPRINGFIELD, IL (10/15/2010)(readMedia)-- Friends and family cheered as the 18 newest heroes of the Illinois Army National stepped onto the armory drill floor. The Bilateral Embedded Support Team (BEST) A5 returned from their roughly nine-month deployment in Afghanistan Oct. 15 at Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
During their deployment they worked with Polish Land Forces as part of Task Force White Eagle in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Task Force White Eagle saw more combat than any other Polish military force since World War II.
The Soldiers supported Polish military operations and improved their level of force protection and operational abilities, said Col. Tracey Nelson of Springfield, commander of the BEST A5.
"The impact made in the area of responsibility allows our follow on units to improve on a more manageable situation than the one we arrived in a few short months ago," said Nelson.
The Soldiers were be greeted by loved ones, the American Red Cross, the Patriot Riders and the unit's friends and fellow Soldiers.
"I'm glad to be home," said Maj. Chuck Kitson of Springfield. "It's indescribable; words can't express the appreciation we have for everybody who put this together for us."
The BEST A5 return home marked another successful deployment of the Illinois National Guard from an ongoing operation overseas.
