Family, friends greet Nellis airmen returning from Iraq

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE (AP) -- Sitting in the cockpit of the C-17 cargo plane, Staff Sgt. Richard Jones had a bird's-eye view of his home as he returned Thursday from Iraq.

"It was a beautiful sight, to be back in Vegas," said Jones, 26.

When Jones stepped off the plane, he was greeted by his wife, parents and his favorite candies, Werthers Original, which were tied together to form a lei.

Jones was among 20 Air Force personnel who returned to the base near Las Vegas on Thursday morning on C-17s from Iraq. About 40 Nellis personnel arrived at McCarran International Airport on Wednesday night on commercial flights from the East Coast.

By Saturday, about 150 people and six helicopters were expected to return, said Master Sgt. Richard Covington, base spokesman.

"Everyone is excited," Covington said. "This marks an occasion that we've done our job."

Those arriving at the base include members of the 66th Rescue, 58th Rescue and 757th Aircraft Maintenance squadrons, which are part of the Helicopter Combat Search and Rescue unit. They were deployed in January.

Nellis has about 800 personnel still in Iraq, including the base's Predator units. About 15 more people were deployed in the past week, Covington said.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the pilots, pararescuemen, electricians, mechanics and other personnel were involved in a number of missions, including the rescue of two F-14 pilots.

"It's been a long time, " said Tech. Sgt. Robert Evans, who was gone nearly four months.

Evans was greeted by his wife on the tarmac, where they hugged and kissed.

"We did our job," said Evans, 37. "Luckily, we didn't have too many rescues."

As for Staff Sgt. Richard Jones, he said the first thing he's going to do is head for his favorite restaurant at the California Hotel.

"I'll take him wherever he wants to go, wherever he wants to eat," his mother Clarita Jones said.

For lunch? Jones said he wants a dish called "Kailua pig."

"I'm tired of chicken," he said. "Every day they served chicken."

------

On the Net:

Nellis Air Force Base, http://www.nellis.af.mil/home.htm