By Nicole Falco
2nd Lt. Micaela and 1st Lt. Andres Durango were expected in Valley Stream the morning of Aug. 1. The couple, both members of the U.S. Air Force, returned to Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, N.C., from overseas in mid-July and were coming to New York during a one-week leave.
The tension mounted as Aug. 1 finally arrived. "We couldn't sleep last night -- we were up till 4 a.m.," Janelle said. "[Micaela] called last night to tell us she wouldn't be here till 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning because of the rain. Then she called us this morning and told us she was crossing the Verrazano."
Micaela and Andres drove 9 1/2 hours straight in their gray Honda Civic from North Carolina to see their families. They called at 8:30 a.m. to say they would be there by 9 or 9:30 a.m.
Ken, Janelle and Micaela's younger brother, Gabe, sped around the house making sure the red, white and blue banners and balloons were in just the right place for the couple's arrival.
Micaela and Andres turned into the driveway and into their family's arms at 9 a.m.
After resting, the two were back in uniform and posing for pictures on the front lawn. Micaela's sister and nieces arrived and the community continued to show its support for the heroes. "It's so gratifying to see people drive by, see our banner and honk, smile and wave," Ken said. "It makes me really proud."
The couple returned to the U.S. a day apart, Micaela on July 16 and Andres on July 17. Micaela, 24, a 1997 graduate of Central High School, was deployed from North Carolina to Kuwait in mid-March. She was transferred to Iraq in mid-May. Andres, 24, a Manhattan native, was deployed from North Carolina to Oman, a small country near Saudi Arabia, in January.
Micaela, a member of the 75th Fighter Squadron, was a section commander in charge of a unit control center while stationed overseas. She provided personnel support to pilots and was expected to coordinate post-attack reconnaissance in case of an attack. She said she remained on base while in Iraq.
Andres, a member of the 405th Air Lift Wing, was in charge of an Aerial Support Squadron that consisted of 23 soldiers. The squadron was in charge of trafficking materials going into and out of the war zone.
The couple was excited about coming home, seeing her family in Valley Stream and his family in Manhattan. "I was excited to see anything green, to smell it, to see kids again -- I missed the sound of children -- seeing people out of uniform," Micaela said. "I thought I loved America before I left."
She also missed hot showers, smelling like a girl, her dog, Moxie, and, of course, her husband and family. Micaela and Andres communicated mostly through e-mail. She got to speak to her family more often than her husband. She looked forward to their letters with family photos and news. If she had fears before being deployed, Micaela said they were eased once she got overseas. There she said she realized how prepared the base was and how confident the other military personnel seemed.
"I love the life," Micaela said. "I love the base, being around the people. The people in the Air Force are what make it so great ... how proud they are."
Micaela dreamt of joining the Air Force at a young age. "I love aircraft [and] I've always been fascinated with flying," she said. She enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program in college. She attended Hofstra, but her military training took place at Manhattan College in the Bronx. There she met Andres. After graduation, Andres, who was already a commissioned officer, performed Micaela's commissioning in August 2001. Two days later they were married.
While they're home, the couple has no specific plans except to be with family and friends. "I just keep looking at them," Janelle said. "I can't believe they're home. I'm just going to enjoy spending all the time we can with them."
Ken said, "I'm very, very grateful that the Lord answered our prayers -- that our children came home safe."
