Published: Thursday, May. 15, 2008 / Updated: Thursday, May. 15, 2008 11:47 AM

The final trip home

Soldiers' bus ride to get back to families was worth the wait

The final group of S.C. National Guardsmen based in Rock Hill returned home Wednesday. Here's a look at the troops' final trip home from Fort Bragg, N.C., after more than a year training Afghan police in the war-torn country.

10:50 a.m.: Capt. David Fowler of the 218th Brigade of the S.C. National Guard at Fort Bragg, N.C., says more than 200 soldiers -- nearly all that's left of more than 1,500 who left their jobs and families 15 months ago -- will at noon load seven charter buses and return to armories in Rock Hill, Newberry, Fountain Inn, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, West Columbia and Darlington. It will be the final leg of their journey.

10:57: Three soldiers bound for Charleston already have their bags packed, piled on the curb. They're skipping lunch at the mess hall, smoking a cigarette instead. "I'm getting real, good food in four or five hours," Sgt. David Sanders shouts to a buddy.

11:35: Capt. Fowler asks if anyone has seen the charter buses. They're running a little late. Seconds later, a Southern Coach bus rumbles by a block away. Crisis averted.

11:51: "Formation," an officer commands. The 200-plus troops, who will soon be receiving orders from spouses, not grisly colonels, form ranks outside the dilapidated World War II-era barracks they've called home for 11 days. It's better than the cots in 120-degree Afghanistan, but miles away from a warm bed in York County.

"When you get home, remember to turn that soldier off and turn that daddy and husband on," Gen. Robert Livingston urges the men, who have a short bus ride to harness months of war and morph back into the firefighters, shift workers and engineers they were. "You've been kickin' the Taliban's a-- for a year. That's all you need to do."

12:20 p.m.: "Rock Hill," Capt. Fowler snaps while assigning buses. "Woo-hoo," respond the 23 members of the 178th Combat Engineers, based in Rock Hill. "That sounds like engineers," Fowler grumbles.

12:35: The Rock Hill-bound troops pile their green Army duffles into the belly of the bus and climb aboard. No one waves goodbye to the crusty, old barracks.

12:49: Twenty-three soldiers, a reporter, photographer and a bus driver roll away from Fort Bragg. Some of the troops left the base on leave last weekend, but had to return Sunday. This time, there are no plans to return. No one waves or looks back. The view ahead, with wives, sweethearts and families on the horizon, is much brighter.

12:55: Cell phones are hard at work alerting lovers, mothers, grandmas and church ladies that the troops they've prayed about for so long are homeward bound. After the phone calls, most of the troops start to snooze.

1:20: Officers finalize the route home as the bus winds through Fayetteville, N.C.. Someone calls the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group so they can stage an escort for the troops along the way.

2:18: Sgt. Anthony Ellis, who fights crime as a Rock Hill police officer when he's not fighting terrorists in far-away lands, says he misses green trees. In Afghanistan, nothing is green, he says. Just rocks, sand, and mountains. "I just wanna take my boots off and run barefoot through the grass," he says, as the bus approaches Florence on Interstate 95.

3:03: A group of soldiers points to a passing truck and trailer toting a shiny pair of Harley-Davidsons and talk about riding their own hogs to Bike Week at the beach or the mountains. But the motorcycle trailer quickly reminds the veterans of the world they left. "In Afghanistan, they'll make anything into a trailer," said Sgt. Jerry Sims of Rock Hill. And use "whatever they can find" to pull it, even a person.

After a year in Army fatigues and desert boots, even the most American conversation turns back to Afghanistan.

3:12: The Rolling Thunder motorcycle escort meets the bus at exit 92 on westbound I-20. Ten motorcycles escort the bus the rest of the way home.

4:06: The bus passes Chester County. "It's gonna be weird going back to work," a sergeant comments, no doubt thinking about how close his life is to returning to normal. No one disagrees.

4:23: "I love that sign, right there," Sgt. Ellis exclaims as the bus passes under the green marker that reads, "Exit 82 Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York."

4:25: A biker with a huge American flag honks and salutes the bus as it passes Outback Steakhouse on Celanese Boulevard.

4:36: Dozens of cheers, flag and ribbons greet the soldiers as they arrive at the Rock Hill armory. As they file off the bus, Gen. Stanhope Spears, a Clover native and head of the S.C. Guard, shakes each man's hand.

4:48: Twenty-three leathery hands salute the American flag as the national anthem is played. During a brief ceremony inside the armory, each soldier, yards away from children and loved ones, remains at attention, stone-faced, following the final marching orders.

4:57: The men obey an officer's final command: "You are dismissed to your families."

Chiseled faces are smeared with mothers' tears and sweethearts' kisses. Calloused hands are softened by the grasp of toddlers' tiny fingers. And 23 men, waging war and training Afghan police for 15 months, complete their mission.