Fort Hood soldiers return for Christmas

FORT HOOD, Texas (KXAN) - Approximately 250 troops from the First Calvary came home Wednesday to Fort Hood after a year-long deployment in Iraq.

They arrived in Texas just in time for the Christmas holiday. Troops have been overseas for just less than a year. They return just more than a month and a half now after the tragic shootings at Fort Hood.

Army officials claim Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others. For the families at Fort Hood Wednesday, the tragedy was a stinging reminder in what should be a happy holiday season.

There have been plenty of events on post over the past month and a half to help the soldiers and their families heal, according to Army officials on post.

Counseling is available to all the soldiers and their family members.

The 340-square-mile post is the largest military base in the free world, so there are soldiers deploying and out of the base weekly.

But Wednesday's coming home party was a joyous one.

The soldiers from the First Cavalry Division left right after Christmas time last year, and they are returning home just in time for Christmas this year.

A flight of roughly 100 soldiers arrived around 2:00 p.m. on post.

Another flight with roughly 150 soldiers was scheduled to arrive around 7:00 p.m.