Family Welcomes
Their Soldier Home

Major Charles Masaracchia returned home on March 22 from a 15-month deployment to Iraq. He was greeted by his family on green ramp at Fort Bragg, N.C. after being stranded in Iceland for two days.

He was the Brigade S3 for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team who were the first to be sent in after President Bush announced the surge in January of 2007. Major Masaracchia is a graduate of Norwich University and met his wife, South Royalton native Kimberly Ballou, while he was student teaching at RUHS where she was a teacher.

The family this week expressed their sincere thanks to friends and family members who supported them during this deployment with cards, prayers, emails, visits and calls. "These gestures helped make us able to survive this deployment and to keep us strong," Kimberly said in an email.

"Please continue to pray for our soldiers and their families. It makes a difference each and every day," she said.