On Tuesday, President Obama’s State of the Union address attracted a great deal of attention, but it was his announcement of the withdrawal of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan over the next year that arguably garnered the most attention. This was especially true among military families, many of whom are waiting for their loved ones to return from overseas.
While the news that their family members may be coming home is certainly encouraging, some members of the military community are cautiously optimistic, reports ABC affiliate WTVD. Joi Williams, whose husband is currently in Afghanistan, said that she’s happy Obama made the announcement but she’s going to temper her expectations for now.
“I’m excited, but to be perfectly honest, I’ll believe it once I see it,” Williams told the news channel. “I want to see my husband get off that plane.”
There are currently about 66,000 United States troops in Afghanistan, all of whom are expected to be out of the country by the end of 2014. While that’s the plan for now, there is still the lingering question of whether there will be any military presence left in the country after the U.S. officially withdraws.