Welcome home, Josh!: Barthel joins 159 other North Dakota National Guard soldiers returning from Kuwait

• Homecoming

North Dakota National Guard Spc. Josh Barthel is surrounded by friends and family Friday night at Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport in Dickinson as he hugs his mother, Mary Kay Barthel, moments after he returned home from Kuwait, where he was deployed for a year.
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About 40 friends and family packed into cars and a mobile home Friday to make the trek from the most western part of North Dakota to Dickinson’s Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport to finally say hello to Josh Barthel face-to-face. The National Guard specialist arrived Friday night to welcome signs, balloons, cheers and hugs after a yearlong deployment in Kuwait.

“Oh, I’m glad to see him come home because of the danger over there,” said Grandma Viola Barthel of Beach. “I’m just glad to have him home. I know it’s safer here.”

Josh, 27, joined the Guard in March 2009, according to information provided by the National Guard.

He is among 160 soliders of the North Dakota National Guard’s 188th Engineer Company who served a year in the Middle East and returned Friday.

During their deployment, members of the 188th performed duties ranging from small repair and construction jobs to major renovations and building construction.

They completed about 160 missions at an estimated value exceeding $2.2 million, according to the North Dakota National Guard, which since 2001 has mobilized almost 3,900 soldiers and more than 1,800 airmen in support of the global war on terrorism.

The returning soldiers are from nearly 70 communities across North Dakota and into Minnesota. They deployed to Kuwait last August.

“Oh, we just miss him,” said his mother, Mary Kay Barthel, of Josh on Friday afternoon. “He’s a lot of help to us too. He’s a fun kid and he’s always up for a good time and everyone misses him.”

He went to college to be a pilot and got his pilot’s license, but he always wanted to be in the service and travel, Mary Kay said, adding he attended Williston State College. He also had much respect for his grandpa who was in the military.

Josh intends to work with his father, R.B. Barthel, and family in their custom combining business and also in construction, Mary Kay said.

It’s likely now that the Golva resident has returned to his roots, he will also get back to his interest in hunting and to his Harley, his mom said.

“He just misses the small-town life,” Mary Kay added.

Editor’s Note: Due to his late arrival, The Press was unable to talk to Josh at the airport before deadline. Information for this story was collected Friday afternoon.

Dave Olson, Forum Communications, contributed to this report.

Tags: josh barthel, north dakota, national guard, 188th engineering company, news, return, kuwait