Although they generally hail from Montana, a group of deploying National Guard soldiers were treated like hometown heroes when they landed at the Cody airport on Saturday.

En route from Montana to final training in Texas, six Chinook helicopters with the Montana Army National Guard’s 1-189 General Support Aviation Battalion stopped at Yellowstone Regional Airport around midday to refuel. Waiting for the soldiers on the tarmac outside the Choice Aviation terminal were a slew of Park County first responders and elected officials. The Cody Volunteer Fire Department hoisted a giant American flag from the boom of one of its trucks alongside a line of emergency vehicles to welcome the soldiers.

As each group of men and women disembarked the choppers to grab some pizza and drinks in the terminal, those in attendance broke out in applause.

Helping lead the way to the terminal was pilot and Chief Warrant Officer III J. D. Nose, a 2000 Cody High School graduate. His father, NWC rodeo coach Del Nose of Cody, helped organize the sendoff for the soldiers, who’d been honored at a more formal deployment ceremony in Helena earlier in the day. The father and son shared a big hug on the tarmac.

The soldiers who flew into Cody are among roughly 300 soldiers from the Montana battalion who are being deployed to Southwest Asia.

Beyond the Cody fire department, representatives from several different law enforcement agencies — including the Park County Sheriff’s Office, Cody Police Department, Park County Attorney’s Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol — were on hand, alongside elected officials from the Park County government and the City of Cody.

Sheriff Scott Steward said he helped spread the word about the sendoff and initially wasn’t sure how many people would turn out. He was pleased by how many showed up at the airport.

“Pretty cool,” he said.

Among the law enforcement officers were several veterans who served in Iraq, Steward said, plus a couple Park County Search and Rescue members who served in Vietnam. They all wished the departing soldiers well. “Stay safe,” was one message.

In a Facebook post, J.D. Nose expressed appreciation for the support from the Cody community.

“You guys were awesome ... that was very unexpected,” he wrote. “Thanks for everyone who came out.”