CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Youngsters clad in ear protection craned their necks feet away from the C-130 which had just rolled onto the apron of McLaughlin Air Base in Charleston. They were waiting to see Dad, who had been gone since November. One by one as Air Guard members stepped from the aircraft, there was no holding them back any longer.
“There’s nothing like it, it makes their day, it makes our day, it’s been a long time. Happy to be home and it’s time to make up for some lost time for sure,” said St. Albans resident Captain Mike Adler of the 130th Airlift Wing.
Daddy’s home!!! 130th Airlift Wing @WVNationalGuard pic.twitter.com/hnNuqH8m4b
— Chris Lawrence (@WVOutdoors) March 5, 2026
He was aboard the first of several aircraft to make it into Charleston after a deployment to the Horn of Africa.
“We flew into different airfields around the Horn of Africa delivering supplies and things like that. It’s winter over there, so it was a little bit cooler so it wasn’t too bad,” said Airman Thomas Staggs of Lincoln County.
Staggs spoke to MetroNews while holding his young son Sawyer.
“Yeah, I missed his first Christmas, but we planned one out and did it early before I left,” he added.
Ben Foster of Milton had a similar story as he held onto his young son who was only two months old when he deployed just before Thanksgiving.
“It’s great, he’s grown up a lot since I left him. He’s like 20 pounds heavier,” said Foster.
It was a successful mission according to Air Guard command. It was also the first mission for the 130th Airlift Wing in the C-130 J aircraft. The unit began upgrading from the C-130H3 models to the more advanced C-130J-30s in 2021, marking an important milestone in the unit’s history.