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Notes of Appreciation : I will be retiring next month from the Air Force Reserves after 23 years of service (4 active duty). I will always remember the warm greetings we received when returning from Iraq (twice for me) or Kuwait or the conflict in Bosnia or Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch and several other places that I was deployed to over my career. I was active duty during the Vietnam conflict and remember coming home very quietly in 1972 to a country that did not see me as a service member who deserved a greeting because of the anti-war sentiment at the time. I came back in the military during Desert Shield (before Desert Storm) in 1990 because I still felt compelled to serve in uniform. I have not regretted a day, no matter where I was sent or how uncomfortable the conditions. I felt it was a small price to pay for the honor I felt. I will miss my comrades in arms greatly, but my time has come. God Bless all of you for making me feel welcomed back home and understand how much we all appreciate your sacrifice and service to us and to our country. With deepest regards, Msgt Chuck Moser, USAF Reserves Hello – I am a Captain currently serving with the 494 Fighter Squadron Mighty Black Panthers flying the F-15E Strike Eagle. I have deployed twice now to Afghanistan to support my brothers and sisters on the ground with firepower on demand from the air. I simply wish to say from one veteran to another, thank you for all of your efforts as troop greeters. I can personally tell you that there is no greater feeling than to arrive home on American soil having returned from fighting for our country and to have someone quite simply look you in the eye and say “Welcome home”. Your impact is indescribable and I wish you a happy and safe veterans day. Yours Sincerely, Captain K. “Raid” J., USAF Hello, My name is Specialist Dane Shockley and I am a Combat Medic stationed at Ft Lewis, WA. I have been meaning to write you fine folks for a little over a year now and please forgive me for taking so long. My unit deployed to Camp Victory, Baghdad Iraq in October 2008 to provide Health Care to our Soldiers. This was my first deployment so I was excited but I was a little afraid as well. When we Landed there in Maine I can't tell you how great it was to see all your faces greeting us as we prepared for a year in a combat zone. To give you alittle backround on me I'm a 24 year old soldier that grew up in a small farming town in Colorado. I was raised around the army as my dad was a 1SG. I was raised that being in the Military and fighting for the freedoms I enjoyed is one of the greatest gifts I can give as a young man. So on my 17th Birthday in 2002 I enlisted into the Army National Guard. I deployed to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and conducted search and rescue there. In 2007 I had decided that I wanted to finally put the uniform on as a fulltime job and was sent to Ft Campbell, KY home of the 101st Airborne(Air Assault). As you can see I am a very patriotic young man and I was proud to shake everyone of your hands and when we would have those scary nights in our clinic with soldiers coming in in bad shape, I would sometimes catch myself thinking of why I'm in this place and what the hell was I thinking. Then when I had a moment to sit and reflect I would think about the day we landed in Maine and all the well wishers. I would think to myself for everyone of you is the reason why I was there. Most of you are older and have served in the same uniform and for the same reasons I do today and it is my Honor to stand up and take that flag from you and carry it forward to help protect our freedoms and our Way of life in America and to give you the chance to rest from standing at the gate defending us from whatever evil is out there. So I say this Thank you, I say Thank you because in wars and conflicts past you have fought so proudly and have made it possible for me to grow up in a country that I can be and do what I want with my life and you have given me to chance to now make that life possible for your grandchildren and My children. Happy Veterens Day and thank you. Love, Spc Dane Shockley “They didn’t wait for a miracle to save a Soldier, they were the miracle. ”Good morning... Just wanted to take a moment and thank all the Maine Troop Greeters!!! Our Ameican heros are truly blessed to arrive home to such a welcome. This is very near and dear to my heart, as my sister's husband has had three deployments since 9/11. God bless you all! Mary Jane Cooney Hi, my name is SGT Mike M., and on this Veterans Day, I wanted to take the time to say Thank You for what you do. I am a member of the Illinois 33rd IBCT that returned home in mid August. I was absolutely amazed at all the people there to greet us when it was close to midnight! It was quite a surprise, and a day I'll remember for a very long time. I'm also a member of the PGR and WWR here in Illinois, and I have also done welcome home rides and such, but until it happens to you, you really don't get how much they mean. Again, thank you for all you do for us, and my family and I wish you all a safe and happy Veterans Day! My name is Ssg. A. McE. and I am currently assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division based out of Ft. Carson, Colorado. I have been home a little over a week and my wife informed me of your website and I told her I wanted to correspond and give you a note of thanks for the tireless service YOU provide the returning and departing Soldiers. Being a tough guy tanker it is hard to admit that after passing thru the greeting line of volunteers who come to welcome us home I teared up a little describing it to my wife and family and I feel that it us the Soldiers who should be as grateful to you fine folks who come out to welcome us home. Especially considering the fact that a bulk of your members are veterans of our previous wars and their families who have forged the path for us and understand how good it feels to be back on American soil after being deployed abroad. In closing something I will never forget is passing thru the line of my peers of earlier generations who understand what we do and what we have sacrificed and it affirms my belief that I have chosen a noble and honorable profession and I will continue to honor YOUR legacy of service with honor and pride. I just wanted to take a moment to say "THANK YOU" for what your group does for our soldiers. I just found out about you guys today when someone sent me the link to your website. Our guys came through Maine last night and you were there to welcome them. You have no idea what that means to them but also what it means to the families at home. I am the wife of a military soldier, we are stationed at Fort Polk LA, my son is in the National Guard and it was his unit that your group greeted last night. My son is actually not going over right now due to some medical issues but he will be joining them soon. Even though he was not there last night I still felt the need to say thank you. It's nice to know that there are people out there that appreciate and understand what being a soldier or a soldier’s family is all about. Rest assured that God knows of your good deeds. There is a special place in our hearts for you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for doing what you do! We all were so thrilled to see our Marine being welcomed by your group. God bless you all!! To whom it may concern: My name is K. and my husband was part of the deploying unit to Afghanistan on April 17 2009. I received an invite to view the pictures from your site and I wanted to take a moment to thank you. I have taken the time to let others know about your site so that they may catch a glimpse of their husbands. Even though there weren't any pictures of my husband, seeing the pictures let me know that he was taken care of during his time in Maine. It means so much to see that someone beside myself and my children are taking the time to let my husband and so many like him know that they truly are appreciated. Keep up the good work and know that the families of our military members do thank you. I will be checking your site around the time of his return. A million thank you's, K. G. I just want to thank all of you for what you do--my brother, Captain A. R., left for Afghanistan late Sunday night and in the wee hours of Monday morning was met by you all in Bangor. It means so much to us (I'm in tears writing this note) to know that people care about our men and women in the service enough to meet them, shake their hand, and thank them--not to mention doing this in the earliest hours of the morning like you did! My family and I cannot thank you all enough...Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you! All of our love, T.N. My son Staff Sgt D. M. has been in Iraq since Feb 08 and …the…10th Mountain Division of Ft Drum NY are scheduled to be returning home May 8th-I am not sure if he will be coming through Bangor or not but I was hoping if you hear anything about this unit coming in you could notify me-this e-mail is a good contact until 4 Mon-Fri then my cell …thanks for ALL you do for the Troops my son said he’s proud to tell people he’s from Maine-your well known overseas and across the country. Thanks so much! Just wanted to thank you for catching glimpses of our heroes! I'm hoping Chuck puts up the pictures from this morning of the Marines coming through Bangor. Thanks again for your support! G. Thank you the support and friendship during the layover in Maine of the Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion-46, U.S. Marine Corps. Your patriotism is appreciated. Semper Fidelis, Major D.J. W. Thank you. The phone call this morning was a surprise and blessing and finding the pictures a couple hours later was really special. This was the first time I was able to see all the folks deploying with my husband since they are from all over not just one unit. Even without those, thanks for being there to greet our troops as they depart and return. What a service. May the Lord continue to bless you all. Sandra Moon wrote about this gallery on Jun 15th. My daughter, Sarah, passed through your facility on June 13, 11PM. Thank you so much for extending your loving arms of appreciation to her and her comrades. Our family is so proud of her and the pics show us a window into her journey. Sandra Moon, MGySgt, USMCR Ret Carry Johnson wrote about this gallery on Aug 19th. Thank you so much. My heart is so grateful for you all and being able to see my son come home today is one of the greatest gifts ever. Thank you Robyn R. (Mrs. Gunny) wrote about this gallery on Sep 23rd. I wanted to express my appreciation for what you all are doing for the guys. You see im a proud Marine wife and Love my Marine deeply, this Sept. 22 @ 5:30am Hank and his fellow marines from 7th Marine Regiment ADVON out of 29 Palms, California came through your airport. I have been sitting by my phone waiting on word one stop at a time.When I heard that all you wonderful people have a website and pictures of them posted, I went straight to my computer and told all the wive so we could have just one more look, one more second to hold them in our memories, and that is a special moment indeed. I have known my husband Hank for 13 Years, we dated for 6 years ( off and on) and this July 09, we married. Im not new to the military life as both of my parents served in the Armed Forces however, This seperation I find myself scared . God willing you will see him again on his way back to me and I can send you a picture of our reunion. This tour to Afghanistan is a 12 month deployment, it puts alot of stress in our lives however with people like you, we know that they will be loved and cared for until they are once again home safe in our arms. With as much love thats in my heart we, the ones left behind Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do. You are all AMAZING! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.. Robyn R. aka. Mrs. Gunny Hello -- Just read a piece about you all on PBS -- I've been through Bangor twice returning from overseas. You've all been there both times. I want to make sure word gets out to everyone who does this how much we all appreciate it. There is nothing in the world like coming back from a trip, landing on familiar territory, opening up the doors and seeing that line of smiling faces -- people who want to extend their love and support. It is such a genuine thing to us after being away from everything we consider home and comforting, and I've been talking to friends lately who have been lucky enough to have had the same experience -- we don't know how to show our appreciation, and want to make sure that it is clear to everyone who does this for us, that what they do is extremely important, and we are incredibly grateful for their service/family members service/patriotism, and the , simple thing they do for us by shaking our hands and saying 'welcome back':) Hugs from all of us -- Leslie Ronsin, Cpt Dear Maine Troop Greeters, Just watched the documentary of the welcoming and sending off of our troops....... God bless all that you do. You make America proud. I was so caught up with emotion in regards to the dedication you have shown and in the vast hours you have given to this cause. Thank you from an Afghanistan infrantryman's mom. Hello, Yesterday would have been my step-father's birthday. I was watching several programs on TV which honored our Military. PBS had a program about Bangor, Maine and the outstanding Greeters as well as the men and women going and returning from war. I am 79 years of age, a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. In my immediate family we have not had anyone who has been in a war. I do have a cousin who was in the Marines but did not see active duty. Having said that, it is, of course, a concern for anyone who has young people in their family who could very well be involved in the future. That is not my reason for writing. I was so very touched with the PBS program and the outstanding 'giving back' that was shown. What a wonderful outpouring of love. May God bless and keep you. In Tyler, Texas, where we live, we now have a group of Greeters to greet one, or more, returning heros. While we do not have the number of military returning as you have there it is still a wonderful feeling to be able to see this being done here and elsewhere. Thank you for you time. V. T.

Notes of Appreciation

I will be retiring next month from the Air Force Reserves after 23 years of service (4 active duty). I will always remember the warm greetings we received when returning from Iraq (twice for me) or Kuwait or the conflict in Bosnia or Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch and several other places that I was deployed to over my care ...

Updated: May 07, 2009 9:12am PST

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