Family and friends gathered in the hanger at Key Field on Sunday to welcome home members of the Mississippi Air National Guard 186th Air Refueling Wing returning from deployment.

Col. Doug Manley said the airmen have been deployed for several months putting their training into practice by supporting U.S. and NATO missions around the world. After completing their mission, he said, it was time to welcome the airmen home.

“It’s always an exciting time to get everybody back,” he said.

When airmen deploy, their absence is felt at home and at Key Field, Manley said. Without them home, others must step up and fill that vacuum in their absence, he said.

Jackie Aycock, who was waiting with her two children for her husband, Robert, to return Sunday, said both herself and her children were excited to see their loved one come back.

“We’re just really looking forward to having him home,” she said.

Robert Aycock, who serves as a pilot for the guard’s KC-135 aircraft, said it was an honor to serve his country on deployment, but it was hard to find words to describe seeing his family again.

“Words can’t really describe how excited I am to be back,” he said.

National Guard members are also different from regular military in that they typically have full-time jobs in the community in addition to their service, Manley said. Returning home gives them an opportunity to step back from military life for a moment, rest and resume their civilian lives.