NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Soldiers with the 7th Transportation Brigade got a warm welcome home from family, friends, and loved ones on Saturday.
The unit just completed a 5-month deployment to the Middle East during the Israel-Hamas war, where they provided a humanitarian assistance mission in Gaza.
The mission was to provide humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza with the construction of a temporary floating pier. According to the United Nations, Gaza's 2.3 million residents were struggling to get food.
In March, the soldiers left Joint Base Langley-Eustis to build the floating dock off the Gaza coast to provide food and assistance. The United States has since made the decision to dismantle that pier due to frequent setbacks and weather impacts.
RELATED: Langley-Eustis troops building 'humanitarian assistance corridor' for urgently needed aid to Gaza
The aid was needed due to restricted land routes into Gaza slowing and limiting access to food, medicine, and other urgent needs. The flow of aid was restricted by the Israeli military blocking routing and slowing down deliveries by conducting inspections.