The time is finally here, but there’s still so much to do.

Pick up watermelon. Buy red roses. Make welcome-home banners.

The days before families welcome back soldiers are hectic but filled with anticipation and excitement.

Nearly 200 soldiers of the 950th Maintenance Company, an Army Reserve unit, are returning home today from a yearlong tour in Iraq, and many of their family members and loved ones are scrambling to prepare.

The unit’s departure from the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos was the largest Army Reserve deployment from Orange County since the start of the war in Iraq. The unit – nominated for a Presidential Unit citation for its heroic acts — provided maintenance support and base and convoy security. Nine Purple Heart and 10 Bronze Star medals were awarded.

Cathy Mitchell’s La Habra home is a pseudo-headquarters for the family readiness group that’s prepared the gifts, food and entertainment. Her living room is packed with boxes filled with backpacks for the soldiers’ children and dozens of T-shirts. During the past few days, phone calls have been made to other families to let them know about the homecoming.   …..more