HCSO press release
Henderson County Deputy Sheriff Meagan Hogan was welcomed back to the office with open arms Monday following her tour of duty in Afghanistan.
“Meagan served the citizens here and when duty called, she went overseas to serve her country there,” Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said. “And we are more than pleased to see her back protecting the people of this county.”
Hogan served three months in Bagram, Afghanistan with the 455th EAMXS where she was an F16 Fighter Crew Chief.
“Basically, we kept the planes flying,” she said. “That was our job.”
She has been in the United States Air Force Reserve for 5 years, and this marked her first tour in Afghanistan.
“The living conditions weren’t quite like home. However I did get to meet some wonderful men and women serving our country and I made some great friends, but I surely did miss the home cooking,” she said.
The Sheriff’s Office, where she has worked for the past 11 months, regularly sent Hogan care packages.
“I got five all together from people here,” she said. “The packages had everything you could possibly imagine inside. It was like Christmas every time the mail came.”
Hogan still has one year of service left in the Reserves, but she is now most looking forward to spending time with her daughter Kyleigh, 8, son Reed, 2, and her husband Will, who is a firefighter in Irving.
“The whole office prayed for Meagan’s safe return and it was my pleasure to swear her back into service yesterday,” Hillhouse said. “She represents the kind of selfless person that puts her community first, and we are honored to have her back working at this Office.”
Hogan said she was eager to get on with her work in Henderson County.
“When you are so far away, it is such a comfort to know that so many wonderful people back home are thinking about you,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be back in the loving arms of so many terrific co-workers and friends.”