Thousands of U.S. Army soldiers packed the world’s busiest airport on Sunday morning as they prepared to recharge at home for holiday block leave.
Over 4,000 soldiers traveled through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to go home after spending several weeks training at Fort Moore.
Many soldiers haven’t been home with their families for three months.
“I’m most excited to spend time with my siblings,” said Private Dominic Ovesen to Fox News. “I have six of them. So, [I’m] putting time aside for each of them — as well as my dog, especially.”
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Pvt. Ovesen, like many others whom Fox News spoke with at the airport, said this break in training is a chance to reset and process everything learned so far in training.
Specialist Glenn Brown, another soldier going through training at Georgia’s Fort Moore, echoed a similar sentiment.
“It’ll be good to see the family and have time to reset, relax with family — and get some good old food when I get back home,” said Brown.
Nationwide, more than 38,000 soldiers from 21 Army bases will participate in holiday block leave, according to the U.S. Army.
Army leaders say the break is essential to the soldiers’ training.
General Curtis Buzzard said, “It’s just great for their morale … They’re going to get to go home and see their families. And then I think when they come back, they’re recharged and ready to get after it.”
“I’m tremendously proud of the young people who have chosen to serve.”
Buzzard is commanding general of U.S. Army Fort Moore and The Maneuver Center of Excellence.
In terms of what the soldiers have accomplished so far, he said, “I’m tremendously proud of the young people who have chosen to serve. There are other things they could have done, but they’ve chosen to serve their country, and they’ve chosen to make themselves a better person.”
He added, “We have tremendous values in the…
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