MS National Guard Unit Coming Home

Richland, MS -- The men and women from the 113th Military Police Unit arrived at the Hattiesburg base around 1:30pm Thursday.; 40 members of the unit will spend  the night at Camp Shelby.  The soldiers will return home to their families after they've been processed. 

Friday,  another 150 members of the unit are expected to arrive at Camp Shelby.  The troops were gone for more than a year.  They were in Iraq training police officers.

The mother of Sgt. Brad Randall says she thinks about her son everyday. "You pray a little bit harder," said Charlene Whittington.  "Christmas, Thanksgiving, they're not the same."

Randall has been serving as a military policeman in Iraq.   Natalie, his wife of two years, is anxiously waiting for him in Gulfport, where she's expecting his plane to land.

Randall's mother-in-law, Jonie burns, says she's proud of her son-in-law, but worries for his safety. "It's easy when it doesn't hit your home, to know how it impacts because nobody, unless they're sitting in these shoes or in Natalie's shoes, nobody knows how this feels," she said.

Burns says Rankin County's military families are excited to see their soldiers come home.  A parade is being planned for the soldiers on Tuesday, June 3rd.