Sgt. Chris Morton has waited for this moment for a year. Being a family once again after his military unit deployed to Afghanistan.

"It feels great. It's been so long away from them," Sgt. Chris Morton of Roscoe said.

"Unbelievable, amazing just to have him home safe again," Kristy Morton said.

Sgt. Morton left when his son Abraham was only seven months old.
But the boy still knew Dad when he appeared on stage during Thursday's welcome home ceremony.

"He just looked for a couple minutes and I waived and I knew he recognized me," Sgt. Morton said.

"It's been hard because he missed his 1st birthday, first Christmas so it will be good to have everyone all together again," Kristy Morton said.

"Team Carter" from DeKalb is back together again too. Mom, Dad and their six kids.

"I'm about to have babies all over me. I'm just going to be laying with them all night," Sgt. Carter said.

"Other than having our kids and getting married, there's no other better feeling than this," Pamela Carter said.

She's looking forward the most to having her husband with her at their kids' events.

"Just having someone to sit with me in the stands when you're rooting for the kids because that's when you really notice it," Pamela Carter said.

A void now filled for this family and dozens more, shedding tears and screaming cheers as their soldiers march on to their next mission on the homefront.

The roughly 80 soldiers home Thursday are part of the 135th Chemical Company based in Machesney Park.

Their work in Afghanistan included everything from security patrols to building schools.