US soldiers return home to loved ones after serving in Afghanistan

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Approximately 300 troops arrived home in the US this week after being deployed in Afghanistan since February.

Parents, partners, siblings and children were on hand to welcome back their loved ones at Pope Army Airfield in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Zachary Smith, a paratrooper with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, hugs his mom Angie Gibson after returning home from Afghanistan. Credit: Reuters
Riley Agnew, three years old, points to the plane flying his father home. Credit: Reuters
Sean Smith, a paratrooper with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, kisses his daughter Olivia Rose Smith, 10 months. Credit: Reuters
A young girl wave a US flag as troops return home to Pope Army Airfield in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Credit: Reuters
John Jacoby, a paratrooper, hugs his girlfriend Emiliee Chance after returning home from Afghanistan. Credit: Reuters