Triumphant welcome for Cpl. Darren Butt

Cpl. Darren Butt held his three-year-old daughter Chloe in his arms while his fiancÉe, Melissa Rumbolt, held their son, two-year-old Cody.

The young family was surrounded in the Pinware Town Hall by the welcome home party assembled for Mr. Butt following his 10-month stint in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he served close-quarter protection for Maj.-Gen. Marc Lessard.

The road home to Pinware was winding and rocky for the 29-year-old, who answered the call to serve overseas Jan. 17, forced to leave his 26-year-old fiancÉe and two young children during a formative year in the life of the family.

"It's hard to describe," Ms. Rumbolt said. "Very painful not knowing where he was or when I was going to hear from him. He missed so much of the kids growing up; our son couldn't even walk when he left.

"It was a long nine months."

The military prepares its soldiers for such changes upon returning home, Mr. Butt said, adding that a major part of the process is accepting those changes.

"It's a big difference," he said. "First when I left my son couldn't talk or walk, he was just starting to stand up, and when I came back he was up running around. It's a big difference, a big, big change.

"You just got to basically slip back in and slowly get along with it and accept what's going on."

Mr. Butt landed in Ottawa Nov. 6 before returning to his home in the Labrador Straits Nov. 24 to a cheering crowd, food and music. Pinware Mayor Neal Pike and West St. Modeste Mayor Agnes Pike both gave speeches welcoming Mr. Butt home.

The come home party was scheduled for Nov. 23, but was delayed a day due to the cancellation of a crossing on the Labrador Straits ferry.

"It's great to come home to see everybody in your community is actually there for you, and they're supporting not only me but the rest of the Canadian Forces," Mr. Butt said.

"It makes your job a lot easier when you know everybody back here is supporting you 100 per cent."

Darren and Melissa have returned home to enjoy the Christmas holidays with friends and family - and tie the knot - before returning to Petawawa, Ontario, where Mr. Butt is stationed.

The two are set to marry in L'Anse au Clair Dec. 20.

"I'm very proud," the future Mrs. Butt said. "Very proud to say I'm going to marry a soldier."

Mr. Butt joined the army in 2003 and underwent basic training in CFB Esquimalt, British Columbia, near Victoria.

Darren's mother, Florence, admitted it was difficult adjusting to her son's decision to join the army.

"(I had) a little bit of pride knowing that he wanted to do it, but then a little bit of mixed feelings," she said.

He then attended battle school in Meaford, Ontario, at the Land Force Central Area Training Centre. He and his family have been based in Petawawa ever since.

"You do a lot of training," he said. "It's like anybody to get excited about what they're trained to do, or their job. You look forward to it...(a job) we were trained to do for the last six years."

But, along with changes in his family, Mr. Butt has seen significant changes in Afghanistan during his nine months there, including newly-built infrastructure.

"It's a privilege to step into a country where they're underprivileged, and actually see development as in roads and schools, hospitals, and to see the look on their faces when you drive through and they're happy to see you coming because you make a difference," he said.

"Their life is a bit happier from me being there."

There is no confirmed date set for Mr. Butt to return to Afghanistan.

However, he said, there is talk of returning in 2010.