DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Over a dozen 46th Aerial Port Squadron reservists received a deployment reintegration briefing April 30, 2025, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.
The briefings included presentations by representatives from military pay and numerous wing support sections and included a personal welcome home from Col. Eric J. Rivero, 512th Airlift Wing commander.
“I received a lot of great feedback from your deployed commanders,” said Rivero. “You did a great job, and I appreciate your service. It makes a difference.”
William Yoder, 512th Logistics Readiness Squadron assistant installation deployment officer, said the briefings are important for the returning reservists who were deployed in multiple locations in Southwest Asia.
“The purpose is to inform individuals of what entitlements they have upon reintegration back into the units,” said Yoder. “These are mandatory appointments, and we have streamlined it as much as possible to make sure they get back to their families as soon as possible. After this, they just have to complete their medical appointments.
Some of the briefing topics covered included benefits, resiliency and the Yellow Ribbon Program.
One of the 16 returnees was Tech. Sgt. Angelica Juarez, who was deployed to Iraq, said she was happy to be back.
“It feels good to be home, she said. “It’s rewarding to go out there and get the mission done, but I’m ready for a slower pace and an opportunity to enjoy some things I have been missing for the last six months.”
She said she appreciated all the information provided during the briefings.
“I think it’s very important to have people remind you of the importance of taking care of these issues,” she said. “It’s a lot of information, and you want to make sure you are doing everything correctly.”
Yoder said taking care of the deployers’ needs is crucial to him.
“It’s very important we take care of them,” he said. “They go overseas and fight for our country. When they return, we should be fighting for them to make sure they are taken care of.”