<p>A 95-member military police company from western North Carolina is home after 15 months in Iraq.</p><p>The 210th Military Police Company of the North Carolina National Guard came back to its home state Thursday aboard two C-130 cargo planes. The unit had arrived in the United States at Fort Dix, N.J., last week.</p><p>Hundreds of relatives roared their approval as the soldiers walked off the planes at Asheville Regional Airport.</p><p>The unit is headquartered in Franklin and has platoons in Murphy and Sylva. The soldiers spent 12 of their 15 months overseas on patrol in the streets of Baghdad.</p><p>Gov. Mike Easley told the soldiers "how incredibly proud we are of each and every one of you."</p><p>Easley spoke of the unit's courage, strength and commitment in general, and had special words for Sgt. Bobby Franklin of Mineral Bluff, Ga., who died in an explosion while on patrol.</p><p>"Sgt. Franklin was a son of Georgia, but the people of North Carolina know he's our son too," Easley said. "And North Carolina will never forget Bobby Franklin."</p>
