New York, NY -- The hugs and smiles... say it all. U-S service men and women reunited with the stray dogs they found in Afghanistan.
Petty Officer Zachary Henning was deployed for a year, but it wasn't a true homecoming until Gus made it.
"I've been home for two months and I've been waiting for him ever since," said Henning. "He helped me survive out there and now I'm going to give him a home and allow him to survive now."
Specialist Sheila Schaffer says these stray dogs give nothing but love, and that's how they're saving lives.
"It's not always saving from an I-E-D or a bomb. A lot of time with soldiers, we have a lot who commit suicide from depression. It's saving our spirits too. It doesn't have to be a physical save, it's a spiritual save."
Sergeant Pen Farthing is a former British Marine, and adopted his dog Nowzad while serving in Afghanistan. He says the Taliban banned people from having dogs as pets.
"If it's a male dog, it may be used for dogfights. If not, it's just discarded on the street and may then just fight for scraps."
Farthing "started" the animal rescue group called Nowzad, that tries to save animals in Afghanistan and re-unite them with service men and women throughout the world when the troops return home.
Sergeant Adam Riniker says his dog Freedom will now live a life of freedom.
"I do a lot of hunting and we live on a couple farms, so she'll probably do a lot of running and I have another dog that she'll be running around and playing with," said Riniker.
After knowing only a life of war, they're now headed home.