Shayli McKen didn’t bother holding back her tears. It had been nearly one year since her husband, Army Spc. Chad McKen, deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery of the Wyoming National Guard to Iraq, and she was mere seconds away from seeing him again.
His was the last of three aircraft to arrive, and Shayli inched closer to the tarmac as the plane rolled into the Natrona County Airport near Casper. The plane’s hatch opened and the crowd of about 500 gathered around started to cheer. Soldiers embraced their wives, mothers, sons and daughters all around Shayli as she intently looked for Chad.
She saw him, smiled and her eyes began to well with tears.
Her long wait was finally over.