917th Security Forces Personnel return home Published Jan. 26, 2009 By Mrs. Betty Stephens 917th Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AFB, LA -- 917th Security Forces Squadron personnel deployed to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, as part of the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron returned Friday, Jan. 23 to the Shreveport area. Though this was not the first deployment for several of them, when asked about the tour, the common answer was, "It was a long tour." There were expressions of happiness on the faces of the children some had skipped a few hours in the classroom to greet their parent upon return. Some of them were already making plans--Technical Sgt. Chad Turner, 917th Security Force, son, Haden Turner said he was just glad to have his dad home so that he could do fun things with him like go fishing, and he is even talking about plans for an outdoors picnic now that his dad is home. Master Sgt. Chuck Parker, 917th Security Force, feels they were a big help, he stated, "We were just a piece of the puzzle...you have to keep the big picture in mind and go with that. I think about what would happen if we weren't there and our part was important." Though troops, spouses and children said it was a long six months, the moment of return erased all unpleasantness caused by the deployment. "It has been a long six months, but we are at the end of the road, now that he is back, that is all that is important--everything else can go to the back," said Mrs. Sharron Turner, spouse of Sergeant Turner. The returning military police will have time off to spend with their families and return to life in the states.