The West End community welcomed back a hometown hero Thursday night. Petty Officer 1st Class Kari Raffensberger came to Jimmy’s Hilltop Ice Cream with a parade of Warriors’ Watch Riders and local fire and police companies escorting her from Bethlehem.

She was deployed in Afghanistan for a year.

Family and friends embraced her at the ice cream shop with open arms.

“I’m completely blown away. My face hurts from smiling so much.” Raffensberger said.

“It’s really amazing to see the level of support from the community, my friends and family, people I don’t even know, the local police and fire departments. It’s really amazing.”

Thursday, she met her newborn niece for the first time.

She said she missed her family and friends the most when she was gone.

“Fortunately, we have face-chat and photos. And I had reliable Internet which not everyone gets. I had a great team over there, as well.”

Raffensberger said she originally joined the military to be part of something bigger than herself. She wanted to make a difference globally and keep her loved ones safe.

“It’s beyond words,” Raffensberger’s mother June Miller said.

“I don’t even know what to say anymore. Having your child away for that long is hard enough, knowing they’re alone in Afghanistan in a war zone. I’m just thankful she made it back. I’m so thankful and so blessed. This is crazy with all these people that turned out.”

Miller thanked the Blue Ridge Fire Company, Pocono Hogs, the Warriors’ Watch Riders, Common Grounds Motorcycle Club, and the Bushkill Township police officer that escorted them the whole way.