Alaska Army Guard Spc. Joel Francisco an infantryman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, reunites with his family during a welcome home event at the Alaska National Guard Readiness Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Aug. 10, 2024. Approximately 100 Soldiers of “Bison” Company, as they are affectionally known, returned after a nine-month deployment to Kuwait as part of Operation Spartan Shield. (Alaska National Guard photo by Balinda O’Neal)