Janesville soldier comes home from Afghanistan

By FRANK SCHULTZ ( Contact ) Friday, Jan. 15, 2010

Photo

Relatives of Mark Miller decorated the family home on N. Lexington to welcome him home from military service in Afghanistan.

JANESVILLE — Mark Miller came home to Janesville on Wednesday after a year with the Army Reserve in Afghanistan.

He found welcome-home signs in his yard and family gathered to greet him. He also found a Christmas tree.

His wife, Dawn, asked that a special thank-you go out to Mary Utzig at Utzig Tannenbaum Acres, who allowed her to cut a tree after the holidays.

Christmas is one of the things Miller wants to catch up on. He and Dawn also plan to celebrate their 25th anniversary, which passed while he was away.

Spc. Miller served as a cook for officers at Bagram Air Base for two months before returning to his regular job: handling grenades, bombs and ammunition with the 826th Ordnance Company, based in Madison. The unit returned to Madison on Tuesday.

Miller was unemployed when he left and remains so. He’s a former General Motors worker who took a buyout in 2006.

Miller said he’ll be looking for work as he continues with his weekend obligations with the Reserves.

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