Christmas comes early for families of 91 Nebraska soldiers returning from Middle East

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Ninety-one Nebraska National Guard soldiers returned to Lincoln on Thursday from a mission in the Middle East.

They reunited with family members after almost 10 months. One of them was Matias Domingo, who became a father about two months ago.

“I was definitely counting down the days,” Domingo said. “It’s a feeling that I can’t explain right now, but I am definitely very excited to be back home.” 

He and his wife will spend Christmas with their daughter for the first time. 

“It’s just nice that he gets to spend time with her now and get that bond with her,” said Brianne, Domingo’s wife. 

The group, known as the Charlie Troop, was deployed in February. 

The soldiers were in different parts of the Middle East, mainly in Kuwait, where they conducted security operations. They also trained alongside allied nations’ armed forces. 

“Personally, I jumped at the opportunity for this mission because my grandpa and my great-grandpa were members of this unit in their respective days of service,” Staff Sgt. Kelly Byrne said. “So, it means a lot to be a part of it.” 

Now that they’re back home, the soldiers are ready to spend as much time as possible with their loved ones.