Atlanta Becomes Major Staging Area as Troops Return to Duty

The world's busiest airport became one of the nation's largest military staging areas Tuesday as thousands of troops returning from leave boarded buses and planes to return to duty, a scene that will continue today.

About 12,000 troops will pass through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by the time "Operation Exodus" and "Operation R&R" conclude. Though some are headed overseas, most are returning to their training assignments stateside. For instance, soldiers from Georgia's Fort Benning and Fort Gordon and South Carolina's Fort Jackson are flying back to Atlanta and boarding buses for a ride back to base.

Those bound for the war on terrorism got heartfelt sendoffs.

"I love you. Call us," Linda Smith whispered to her son, U.S. Army Maj. J.T. Smith, as he left the airport's United Service Organizations club and paraded with 50 other soldiers to check in for his flight back to his base in Kuwait.

Smith, 36, flew into Hartsfield-Jackson from Virginia, where he spent the holidays with his wife and their children. His parents drove six hours from St. Augustine, Fla., to see him off. His sister, Whitney Peterson, and her husband, Matthew, drove over from Dunwoody.

"It's important for us to show we support the troops and let then know we are here for them," said Smith's father, Bruce Smith.

Troops pass through the airport every day, but do so en masse around the holidays as they depart on leave or to return to duty.

USO volunteer Fred Bryant of Peachtree City led wave after wave of troops returning to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan through the crowds of civilians lounging in the airport's atrium on Tuesday. Many applauded and cheered as the troops marched through.

"I usually start applauding because the people look at the soldiers, but don't know what to say or do," said Bryant, a retired Army colonel. "But when people see what's happening, the applause becomes spontaneous. It's a lot different than our guys were treated during the Vietnam War."

Army Spc. Benjamin Davis, 20, was returning to Baghdad, where he still has about 10 months left on his tour.

"Everybody is pretty serious going back over," he said. "The attitude is: 'You gotta do what you gotta do.' Everybody knew what they were doing when they signed up."

The USO's airport facility expected Tuesday to serve about 600 members of the military who were either returning from or going to war zones, said Mary Lou Austin, president of the USO of Georgia.

About 50 USO volunteers were on hand to give out food, phone cards or directions.

Austin said the Hartsfield-Jackson staging is thought to be the largest in the country because it covers three major bases as well as troops headed back overseas.

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