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The sun dips low over the tarmac, stretching long, distorted shadows across the ranks of soldiers standing in rigid formation. The air is a heavy blend of diesel fumes, kicked-up dust, and the electric hum of anticipation. Beyond the perimeter, families are gathered in a frantic swarm, their voices merging into a low roar of relief and joy. Hand-painted banners flutter in the wind, shouting welcomes and promises of home. As the buses hiss open, soldiers descend in a rhythmic clatter of boots, their expressions a raw mixture of combat fatigue and longing. Then the formality breaks. One by one, the lines dissolve as loved ones surge forward. A hand on a shoulder, a cheek pressed against a forehead, and the soldiers collapse into desperate embraces. Laughter and sobbing ripple through the cr…