Dallas Love Field hosted approximately 1,400 soldiers from Fort Sill and airmen from Sheppard Air Force Base as they returned home for the holiday season.

Love Field, along with volunteers from USO and Southwest Airlines, staffed the airport’s Flight Deck Conference Center to offer refreshments, activities and sleeping arrangements for trainees staying overnight before departing to spend the holidays with their families.

Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and mascot Rowdy were on hand to share some holiday spirit with the traveling soldiers.

Nearly 500 service people were accommodated overnight from Dec. 18 to Dec. 19 and an additional 900 were accommodated overnight from Dec. 19 to Dec. 20.

Service members were presented with care packages assembled earlier in the year by volunteers from Dallas Love Field, Lowes, USO Dallas/Fort Worth and the Dallas Cowboys – including cornerback Byron Jones.

The soldiers and airmen then returned to Love Field on Jan. 2 and 3 for check-in with their officers before bussing back to their respective bases. The partnership between the Department of Aviation and USO for the holiday “exodus” has become an annual tradition.