Sharon Adams did not want to let go.

Adams embraced her husband for the first time in more than a year Tuesday after he returned from Afghanistan with six other soldiers.

Sharon Adams said she was overwhelmed when she finally saw her husband’s bus pull up to the Carbondale Armory.

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‘There are no words that can describe this feeling,’ she said. ‘It’s a dream that I’ve been waiting for and praying for.’

Sharon Adams said she had been anticipating seeing her husband, Sgt. Randy Adams, from the moment he was deployed nearly one year ago.

Randy Adams said he could not imagine a more perfect moment than when he finally saw his wife.

‘It was just a perfect setting,’ Randy Adams said. ‘Being back with my wife and my family feels amazing.’

The troops were deployed to Afghanistan Sept. 29, 2008, and touched back down on American soil on Sept. 11.

Aarosheik Smith, of Desoto, said one of the happiest moments of her life came when she heard the plane she was on had crossed over into American territory following the long flight from Afghanistan.

‘When the pilot came on and said, ‘welcome to the U.S.,’ I had a smile on my face for about an hour or two,’ Smith said.

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Smith said about 20 friends and family members were waiting for her at the armory when she arrived.

Smith said the atmosphere in Afghanistan was different than anything she had experienced in her life.

‘It was stressful,’ Smith said. ‘The time just seemed like it lasted forever.’

Smith’s husband, Jonathan Smith, said he was able to keep in touch with his wife using Skype while she was deployed.

‘That was a really good thing for us,’ he said. ‘It kept us together.’

Jonathan Smith said he and his wife married in February of 2008, and they would finally be able to spend an extended amount of time together for the first time as a married couple.

Jonathan Smith said he was overwhelmed when he held his wife again.

‘I got pretty emotional,’ he said. ‘I felt like I was almost going to faint.’

Stile Smith can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 259 or [email protected]