WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — More than 6,000 Fort Jackson soldiers are heading home to their families for the holidays. A few of them say they can't wait to begin their holiday traditions.
"I've been thinking about that so much; the timing is perfect!" Corbin Pluhar said. "A lot of skiing," said Pluhar. "That's what we love to do during Christmas.
"We normally all go to my grandma's house to watch Christmas movies and open presents," said Naomi Reyes.
Pluhar is going home to Star Valley, Wyoming, and Reyes is headed to Sacramento. They, along with the majority of the other soldiers who are heading home on Thursday, just graduated from basic training. They have two weeks off to be with their families before they go to their next location for advanced individual training.
Pluhar and Reyes say being at basic training for two and a half months was the longest time away from home.
"I can't wait to sleep in my bed, and not on a little blue mattress that they give during basic training," says Reyes.
"It didn't sink in until we were on the graduation field this morning," explained Pluhar. "There was some sadness through it, but we were able to get each other's numbers."
More soldiers will be traveling home until the rest of the week. Thomas Shade, a captain at Fort Jackson, says he is telling these soldiers two things: cherish the time you get with your family and represent the Army well.
"You're still a soldier at the end of the day," Said Captain Shade. "You represent the Army, they will be across the country, and people will see them. I always tell them to make sure they represent well."