Fight or Flight

“Holy shit.”

“We’re home.”

“Oh my God.”

The troops reacted like they thought they’d never see the States again. After the five-day layover in Kuwait to turn in gear, clean equipment, and fill out papers, the flights finally shipped them back to the United States. The crowd of family, friends, and other bystanders at the gate clapped and cheered as they watched the soldiers emerge from the terminal. Everyone’s eyes scanned the crowd for their respective families. Veronica’s eyes widened at the sight of her parents and younger brother.

“Roni!” Gabriel called out to his older sister.

Veronica dropped her bag and embraced her family immediately. She couldn’t stop the tears from flooding out of her eyes after not seeing them for nine months.

“My baby’s home,” Her mother cooed. “You’re home.”

Veronica choked out a joyful laugh, hugging her parents and brother even tighter.

“Good to see you, Sis,” Gabe murmured, kissing the top of her head.

When she pulled back from the three of them, she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

“Looks like someone wanted to see you,” Nathaniel smiled, holding his son in his arms.

“Hey, Audrey,” She greeted his wife standing beside him. She hugged her close friend first before cradling Alexander in her arms. “I missed you, buddy.”

The baby let out a laugh and a mouthful of drool onto her uniform.

“Yikes,” She laughed and kissed Alexander’s forehead. She passed him back to his mother.

“Hey, none of us are leaving yet,” Sergeant Collier approached them with the rest of her close friends from the unit.

Veronica gave a wave to Cherry’s mom standing a few meters away and the few relatives of her friends that she knew. Nathaniel and Max exchanged greetings with her parents.

“I could give a speech about how long it’s been but I know you’re all dying to get home so I’ll keep it short,” Sergeant started. “I’m proud of you guys, even the ones that we’re missing today. We’ll be a unit forever and you guys should never forget that. We’re family.”

Veronica wiped under her eyes. “I’m gonna miss you guys. You’re all like my brothers and I love you guys.”

“Bring it in,” Nathaniel said, motioning for a group hug.

The whole unit formed a big group hug and the clapping began again. When they pulled away from each other, they all bid their goodbyes to go back to their real lives. A few lived in California, but others lived in other states.

“I’ll see you guys next time,” Veronica did her signature two-finger salute to her unit before going back to her family to return home.

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Veronica sat in her parents’ living room on the couch after dinner, her feet crossed under her and a bowl of mixed snacks in her lap. The bowl included chocolate-covered pretzels, gummy bears, popcorn, and salty chips. Her cravings got the best of her whenever she came home. She’d been staying at her parents’ house since she returned home and figured she would stay there until New Years. After the holidays, she would go back to her own apartment and drive her own car and live the civilian life.

Her eyes were glued to the television, following the coverage of the war on CNN. The headline read “Breaking News: Last U.S. Troops Out Of Iraq”. She usually avoided watching the news and reading the newspapers. The last thing she wanted to think about was any more unfortunate events or crimes upon her arrival home. She liked to think about the good things and she liked a positive civilian life.

“The Iraq War was launched from here in Kuwait nearly nine years ago and now, everything seems reversed. Troops are leaving from where they once prepared to fight a dictator. The war is ending where it began…”

The reporter live on scene in Kuwait gave a back story on the politics of the war. He then walked through the long process of what troops had to do before they were sent home. Tanks were being washed instead of being prepped for battle. The camp in Kuwait looked like the world’s biggest parking lot, full of government-owned vehicles. The last troops packed their bags and got all their weapons x-rayed. They all walked through the “freedom zone” of Kuwait.

“It’s a sight for sore eyes to see the war finally over. The last U.S. convoy has just crossed the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border…”

A smile graced Veronica’s face at the serene scene of the early morning sun rising over the desert. The night had turned into a historic Sunday morning. The cameras showed the last actual soldiers crossing the border into Kuwait with the gate closing behind them. The sense of nostalgia and gratitude overwhelmed her.

Her cell phone began to ring next to her, alerting her of new text messages. She swiped the screen of her phone with her thumb, reading the new texts from her friends that were watching the news too. She looked up when she noticed Gabriel walking in with a beer in each hand. He passed one to her before sitting in the recliner, glancing at the television.

She took a sip from her bottle, glad that the war was finally over.