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The Freep:

Nearly 185 Vermont Army National Guard members returned to children, spouses, parents and friends Monday in an early morning snowstorm after serving 11 months in Iraq.
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A band played as the anticipation grew in the airport hangar. Guard officials announced the soldiers' every move. They were in the air around 6 a.m. They had arrived. Then they were getting off the plane.
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As the door to the hangar rose, family and friends cheered as they got their first glimpse of the soldiers lined up in formation with snow falling heavily on their fatigues.

The group marched in and quickly dispersed to find their families. Ryan Maloney raced over to hug and kiss his young wife. Then his family hovered around him, with two young nieces clinging to him, showing off the colorful posters they had made.

"It's a great day in Vermont," said his mother, Nancy Brown, of Rochester, who started the Vermont chapter of Military Families Speak Out and is against the war.

Glad they're home.  'course, 600 Vermonters deployed in November for an 18-month tour...

ntodd