Sixty-five 2nd Brigade Combat Team soldiers, the last of the Strike soldiers to be coming home for a while, returned home Saturday night to a very special welcome home from their commander's daughter. Madaline Cox, who's father Lieutenant Colonel Clint Cox commands the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, was nervous waiting for the plane's landing because she would present an award winning speech to every single soldier, and the hundreds of family members in the PPC, but really it was one special soldier she had in mind the whole time. While waiting for the plane, Madaline spoke with the News Edge about the speech.
Her mother, Alison helped her prepare the speech for a school assignment, and after she won first place in her school and second in the county, they worked with 2nd BCT leaders so she could present it to her father, with a little addition at the end.
Lt. Colonel Cox watched as the very nervous 9-year old took the podium in front of hundreds of eyes to deliver her speech, but her eyes rarely left the face of her subject, and his drifted constantly between his daughter, and his wife and son.
Although, regulation requires a dismissal of soldiers before contact with the family, Madaline did just as she said and hugged her father, who scooped her up and hugged her right back.
Lt. Colonel Cox laughed when told his daughter was nervous before he walked into the building. However, he had nothing but praise for his daughter, who didn't stray far from him when the soldiers were released for 15 minutes of family time.
Having a tough act to follow, Deputy Commander of Support of the 101st Airborne Division, Brigadier General Ronald Lewis kept it short, thanking Madaline and informing the families of exactly what the soldiers did while in Afghanistan.
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