JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Shelly Wood and her three children wait with dozens of others for a single moment, a year in the dreaming. Their loved one served in Iraq as part of the 900-soldier strong I Corps.
Above them a C-17 Globemaster circles with the commanding officer of I Corps, Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, and 49 others who waited to be reunited with family.
The I Corps returned home, their mission to secure safety for the Iraq elections complete.
Lt. General Jacoby says the year of service and sacrifice in Iraq ended with a mission accomplished.
"Our team spent the better part of a year working toward the election, and your loved ones played a pivotal role," he said.
And with a "dismissed," hardened soldiers home from war melted into wives and mothers, fathers and brothers.
"Kind of cool your jets a little bit and focus on being dad and husband feels great," said Shelly Wood's husband, Major Mark Wood.
For Lt. General Jacoby, one year in Iraq comes down to one moment back at home.
"Putting that campaign streamer on the flag, that was mission accomplished for me," he said.
Jacoby may not stay around Joint Base Lewis McChord long. Lt. Gen Jacoby has been nominated to a post in Washington identifying global threats to national security.
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