By Libby Casey
Fairbanks, AK – Families of soldiers in the 172nd Stryker Brigade are finally starting new countdown calendars in anticipation of their loved-ones coming back from Iraq. The Army said this month that the Alaska-based Brigade will be home for Christmas. For some, the extended tour has meant more than a delayed homecoming: five men have died in Baghdad in the last two months. The first killed was Staff Sergeant Eugene Alex. Now as other families looking forward to reunions, the Alex family is choosing to leave Alaska.