Red Bulls: Beyond Deployment

Welcoming a husband home

by Phil Picardi, Minnesota Public Radio

The final group of Minnesota National Guard soldiers arrives home Tuesday afternoon after almost a year in Iraq.

In a scene that has played out throughout the metro area in the last several days, families of 34th Infantry Division "Red Bulls" will gather to greet returning loved ones today at armories in Rosemount and Inver Grover Heights.

Dana Saville will be part of that crowd. The mother of three will drive down from Bovey Tuesday to re-unite with her husband, Staff Sgt. Paul Saville. She's done this once before, in 2003, when Paul returned from his first deployment to Iraq.

The re-integration process was tough that time and we've called on her this morning to see how it's changed.

Though she's thrilled to have her husband home, Dana Saville says she expects this afternoon's greeting will be low-key.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, 02/09/2010, 6:50 a.m.