By Paul Rhodes

Austin Wagner is just glad he doesn’t have to spend any more of his leave time flying in airplanes.

Wagner returned home to Goddard late last week, after spending a year in Afghanistan as a combat medic in the U.S. Army. After his leave, he’ll return to his home base of Ft. Lewis for two more years.

To welcome Wagner back to Goddard, friends and family members threw a party for him Sunday afternoon at the Goddard Community Building. More than 200 people attended.

“It was really nice to see so many people,” Wagner said of Sunday’s gathering. The afternoon started with a surprise – a number of American Legion members on motorcycles came to see him and presented him with a special banner.

Wagner signed on with the Army when he was 17 and shipped out when he was 18. After basic, he trained an additional 16 weeks as a medic.

In Afghanistan, Wagner was stationed at Frontenac, a forward operating base in Kandahar Providence.

“Our battalion was involved with a lot of dangerous missions,” he said. “I didn’t expect it to be that bad.”

In October, Wagner was in a vehicle with four other soldiers and an interpreter when it hit a roadside bomb. The driver of the vehicle was killed, and Wagner said he hopes he’s never involved in an incident like that again.

He’ll continue working as a medic at a battalion aid station at Ft. Lewis. He said he doesn’t know whether he’ll have to return overseas or not.

Wagner was excited to drive a 2002 Camaro SS that he’d purchased while away from home. It’s been waiting for him in his parents’ garage.

“It’s fast – it scares me a little,” said Wagner.