Friends and family members wait to reunite with their Alaska Army National Guardsmen during a welcome home event at the Alaska National Guard Readiness Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Aug. 10, 2024. Approximately 100 Soldiers with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, returned after a nine-month deployment to Kuwait as part of Operation Spartan Shield. (Alaska National Guard photo by Balinda O’Neal)