Members of the 128th Infantry returned Friday afternoon to a patriotic homecoming as their bus travelled through River Falls en route to the River Falls Armory. The troops spent 13 months on a security mission in Afghanistan. Gov. Tony Evers sent a recorded message to the retuning soldiers, lauding their service and sacrifice, as well as that of their families. Due to restrictions stemming from COVID-19, a traditional homecoming ceremony was not possible, but senior leaders from the Wisconsin National Guard greeted the soldiers when their plane arrived in Eau Claire, prior to boarding buses to their individual armories. Photo by Jack McLoone.