NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Nearly 200 airmen and women with Joint Base Charleston reunited with their families on Tuesday following a six-month deployment to Qatar.

The 15th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron deployed back in March, flying more than 500 missions to airlift 47 million pounds of cargo in support of Operations Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, Atlantic Resolve, and numerous contingency operations around the world.

“These airlift missions included sorties to deliver equipment, humanitarian aid, and more than 14,000 Soldiers and passengers. The 15th EAS transformed their aircraft into flying hospitals more than a dozen times to conduct aeromedical evacuation missions for 240 patients,” said officials with Joint Base Charleston.

They also dropped nearly 100 critical supply bundles via parachute to U.S. Central Command`s “most austere and hazardous forward operating bases,” which officials say reduced the for supply convoys and keeping U.S. service members out of harm’s way.