Members of the 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry, Red Bull Division of the Minnesota National Guard were welcomed back by family, friends and the Austin community Thursday evening after one year of deployment to peacekeeping missions in Kosovo.

It was an emotional time for husbands, wives and children as soldiers stepped off the buses and ran to open arms of the loved ones they hadn’t seen in 12 months.

We commend these families who wait in anticipation for their soldier’s next deployment; worry when they hear the reports on the news; and whose worlds come crashing down when their soldier doesn’t come home. These families must live their lives with a large part missing for long periods of time, not knowing what the future will bring.

Newlyweds and newborns, births and deaths, graduations and weddings — special times with families and friends are often sacrificed by soldiers who serve above self to help others less fortunate, such as the F Company soldiers have done in Kosovo.

And to this, we salute you.