Homecoming for deployed soldiers altered by quarantine

CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — In January, thousands of paratroopers assigned to Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force were sent to the Middle East with little notice amid rising tensions with Iran.

Four months later, the base they return to is much different. COVID-19 restrictions prohibit the traditional welcome home fanfare. Soldiers will be quarantined for 14 days either on base or at home to prevent the spread of the virus.

But loved ones were still determined to cheer on their return.