A warm welcome

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Sean Gilson
  • 911th ARS Unit Public Affairs Representative
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  "I see him mommy, I see him!"

Young Kyra Johnson wanted to ensure everyone knew that she had spotted her father, Staff Sgt. Ray Johnson, stepping off the KC-135R tanker in mid-January.

Sergeant Johnson, an air crew member assigned to the 911th Air Refueling Squadron deployed overseas in November, shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday. His return in January was a joyful celebration for his family who has watched the boom operator deploy five times over the last several years.

"I made a sign for my daddy. It says 'welcome home I missed you very much,'" said Kyra Johnson.

But Kyra's sign barely went noticed because as the plane's engines roared to halt and its massive door opened, Sergeant Johnson was the first one off. Kyra broke free of her mother's grasp and ran to meet her dad with arms wide open.

Sergeant Johnson embraced his daughter with a rush of emotion. "This is the fifth time I've done this and it keeps getting better and better each time I come home."