Email   Print   Share By Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious May 17, 2012 | Leisure

As part of “Operation Welcom Home,” the wives and rear detachment Soldiers of 2-38 Cav. Regt. pack more than 160 goody bags to be delivered to barracks rooms for the single Soldiers who will be returning home in a few weeks. Dawn Pandoliano, Sentinel Design Editor

Sarah Bolls puts the finishing touches on one of the goody bags before placing it on the bed in a barracks room Friday on West Fort Hood. Part of “Operation Welcome Home,” the wives and rear detachment Soldiers of 2-38 Cav. Regt. packed and delivered more than 160 goody bags to barracks rooms for the single Soldiers who will be returning home in a few weeks. Dawn Pandoliano, Sentinel Design Editor

Specialist Adam Bolls, 2-38 Cav. Regt., loads the goody bags that are ready to be delivered to the barracks rooms Friday on West Fort Hood. Dawn Pandoliano, Sentinel Design Editor

Many Soldiers return from deployments and head home to be with their Families, but some Soldiers have to spend a little time in the barracks.

“Operation Welcome Home” is a military tradition around the world set out to spruce up the barracks that Soldiers will be returning to, giving them something to come home to instead of an empty barracks room.

The Families and Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 38th Cavalry Regiment. 504 Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, kept with this welcome home tradition when they put together more than 160 goody bags for their returning Soldiers Friday at West Fort Hood.

“We made 165 (bags) – 92 for single Soldiers living in the barracks and 73 for our single Soldiers who will be residing off post,” Rachael Luna, Family Readiness Support assistant, said.

She added that this idea came from www.hugsforoursoldiers.org and that this kind of thing lets Soldiers know someone cares as they face the difficult transition from battlefield to home.

“FRGs at Army bases around the world have made it a tradition to decorate barracks rooms for single Soldiers returning home from deployment,” Luna said. “2-38 Cav. embraces this tradition.”

Specialist Adam Bolls and his wife, Sarah, helped put together the bags and decorate the barracks for their returning Soldiers.

“We’re putting together goody bags for our single Soldiers, both on and off post, to make sure they have something to come home to,” Sarah said. “Especially since some of the Soldiers are originally from out of state and their Families might not be able to make it on the actual day of the homecoming ceremony.”

The 2-38 Cav. Regt. Soldiers will be coming home to many necessities already provided for them. The bags contained everything from shower curtains to popcorn, and even air fresheners, so Soldiers can come back and relax instead of having to run out and buy their necessities right away.