Thousands of soldiers head home for the holidays

More than 45,000 soldiers nationwide are heading home for the holidays this week, with most of them traveling through the nation's busiest airport in Atlanta. For many, the last few months have been their first time away from home.

As for the families, one wife drove over 1,000 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa to pick up her husband, Private Dayton Hiers. Laurel says, "It was nerve-racking. We're like this is going to be long." Hiers' mother joined the long trip, becoming emotional when the priceless reunion finally happened. Tammy Ellis says, "It was absolutely wonderful, priceless, the best gift ever."

Hiers' family is one of hundreds that made the trek to Fort Benning. Destiny Stovall is from Biloxi, Mississippi, and says she made the choice to drive instead of waiting for her husband, Private Aaron Stovall, to fly home because "I couldn't wait. I wanted to see him as soon as I can. So it was a no-brainer."

Stovall says the fact she grew up in Atlanta made the decision even easier. She makes the drive between Biloxi and Atlanta often and says the 5-hour drive to Fort Benning was, "just a skip and a hop for me."