ROD ANTONE / RANTONE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Staff Sgt. Ray Castillo greeted family members at the Honolulu airport last night as wife Janna Castillo gazed at him. The couple married on Nov. 17, five days before he was deployed to Saudi Arabia with his Hawaii Air National Guard unit, the 154th Security Forces Squadron.
Joyous families
welcome isle
soldiers homeNewlyweds Ray and Janna Castillo are reunited at last.
The couple had less than a week together before the groom, a staff sergeant in the Hawaii Air National Guard, had to ship off to the Persian Gulf.
Last night, after a five-month-long deployment, Castillo and about two dozen fellow members of the Hawaii Air National Guard 154th Security Forces Squadron returned home.
"It's all good," said Ray Castillo, smiling between long hugs and kisses with his wife, who serves in the Air Force.
"I'm back home and that's the main thing."
Janna Castillo, teary-eyed, said, "I'm okay now."
The couple stayed in touch through letters, e-mail and phone calls, she said.
The Castillos were married on Nov. 17, and five days later the Hawaii Air National Guard squadron was deployed to the Persian Gulf. The squadron was assigned to secure the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
A joyous crowd welcomed the returning squadron at baggage claim "D" at the Honolulu International Airport.
Before the Delta Airlines flight arrived at 10:25 p.m., children ran around with American flags while the adults waited with leis and welcoming signs.
During the wait, it seemed every bit of news was cause for celebration.
"Their plane just touched down!" someone said.
"WHOO-HOO!" cheered the crowd.
"Anybody need leis?" asked Cathy Ramos, who along with Pua Duropan made up the Air National Guard Family Support group at the airport.
"We call the families, make sure they're okay while the unit's gone," explained Duropan. "We keep them informed ... help them with taxes, day care for the kids ... we're the extended family of their family."
The waiting crowd murmured excitedly as arriving passengers began coming down the escalator to make their way to the baggage claim area. There was clear disappointment when they turned out not to be the long-awaited family members.
"How come they're always last?" Chris Macapagal asked out loud. She was waiting for her husband, Staff Sgt. Leony Macapagal, with their 9-month-old daughter Leanna.
Once the returning squadron arrived, the baggage claim area became a sea of hugs, smiles and kisses.
"Yeah, definitely great to be back," said Leony Macapagal, while holding his daughter.
"Unreal to be back," said Staff Sgt. Hans Tandal. "Can't believe it."
Tandal, Macapagal and other members of the squadron said that while they were not on the front line, tension still was high on the base.
"We were always on our toes," Tandal said. "Because we never knew what was coming ... suicide bombers, surface to air missiles hitting incoming planes, getting gassed.
"It was pretty tense."
The squadron members said they will be able to relax for the first time in many months.
"We're getting something to eat," said Pohai Kealoha, wife of returning Clarence Kealoha.
"Then we're putting the kids to bed," she added with a smile.
