ST. LOUIS – Khaki and camouflage is everywhere Tuesday morning at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. It’s all part of the annual holiday block leave from Fort Leonard Wood.
Buses started arriving packed with soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood around 2:00 a.m. They got off the bus, then lined up to go inside.
Some 3,000 soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood are coming through Lambert Tuesday as part of the ‘Holiday Block Leave’ operation. For many of the soldiers, this is the first time they are returning home since enlisting in the army.
As you might imagine, many can’t wait to get home to see their loved ones for the holidays. We’ve been speaking with many soldiers here before they head out to their destinations.
Take a listen to what one soldier told FOX 2 about how much she was looking forward to Tuesday.
“Yes, sir, I’ve been counting down,” Pvt. Fauth Lucky expressed. “I’ve been counting down since I found out we were leaving December 18. We have a calendar in our bay and we have the numbers for each day for how many more days we have left.”
Most of the soldiers will return to Fort Leonard Wood early next month to finish their training.
