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Home For The Holidays

Not applicable

Christmas came early for some Houston-area families recently as they welcomed their loved ones home from serving overseas.

More than 30 members of our U.S. Military were greeted by family, friends, fellow soldiers, and Southwest Airlines Employees as they deplaned at Hobby Airport on Nov. 24th. There was hardly a dry eye in the concourse as everyone cheered and clapped and family members waved banners and signs.

My favorite sign said, simply, “Welcome Home, Daddy!”

Special thanks to all of our military men and women serving overseas. We LUV you!

5 Comments
Jordan_Mills
Explorer C
It's great seeing my home airport. And how smoothly things went on National Opt Out Day - it resulted in amazingly short security lines. In the two weeks since, though, the TSA has removed over half of the scanning lines at Hobby, installed the naked cancer scanners and sacrificed our time, freedom, and rights for pointless security theater. Wait times skyrocketed, the TSA clerks were rude, and Hobby now has the record as my worst airport experience. These brave men and women are overseas fighting for our freedom - what is Southwest doing for our freedom in our own airports?
Anonymous2765
Explorer C
Neither SWA nor any other airline have anything to do with security protocol. It's entirely the TSA's department. You want change? Contact your district representatives or congressmen, with a vote if need be. A novel idea, I know, especially in an age in which people pointlessly harangue others for the sake of it and take no action to remediate what they see as offenses to themselves or others. As to the actual topic, congratulations and welcome home to all.
Jordan_Mills
Explorer C
Actually, airlines have a HUGE say in airport operations, especially in their hub and focus cities. And why do you assume that one post is all I'm doing? And what are YOU doing?
Anonymous2765
Explorer C
No offense was meant. Read the post again, I'm sure had you been at the gate on your soapbox....those returning servicemen and women would have ignored you. I'm willing to bet they were just glad to be home. Don't use their sacrifices as a platform for your views. Your "worst airport experience" is probably a day in the park compared to their lives in a world away from home.
Samantha_Hendon
Explorer C
I must say these comments slightly amuse and slightly annoy me, my fiancee is over in Afghanistan at the moment going without sleep, internet service, phones and any day to day comforts not to mention the harsh Afghan winters and lets not forget the oh so friendsly locals. I understand that your upset about the new local security measures but I personally have no problem with them, if these measures keep ONE lunatic from boarding a plane and doing something dangerous than its worth it to me, if we had these measures in place years ago maybe we wouldn't be in the situation were in now and I must say I don't appreciate you using our troops homecoming as launching pad for your issues with the security. I noticed that you used one line referring to our soldiers and their sacrifices and the rest of it was entirely devoted to your campaign against airport security, you even failed to thank our returning heroes in your post. I understand that your upset about wait times at the airport but let me enlighten you as to what the rest of us are upset about. Im upset that because ten years ago we didnt have these protective measures some religious fanatics were able to board and take over our airplanes crashing them and causing the lose of thousands of american lives. Im upset that in the resulting ten years my fiancee has faced three dangerous deployments as direct and indirect result of these actions. Im upset that when people complain of the extra 30 mins they had to wait at the airport they have no idea what its like to wait 30 days for a phone call just to know the man you love is safe. Im upset that instead of protesting the appalling conditions our military men and women are residing in over there people are protesting something as mundane and average as airport security. Im upset that while my fiancee may not have slept or showered today you take the time to write a paragraph on how intrusive and time wasting that is, when your time could have sincerely been better spent on a worthy issue and lastly im upset that you would take an article on what is the single most joyous day in a very long year for some families and make it a launching pad for your complaints the next time you see an article like this please stop and think all the soldiers fighting for your right to read and write comments about these post and at the VERY LEAST take the time to THANK them before you launch into your agenda. Thank you, Fiancee of an Army Combat Engineer.