After nine long months deployed to Afghanistan, Sgt. Kristianpeter DiStefano is home in Howard Beach.
His arrival back stateside Dec. 6 was delayed two hours after his airplane seat was given away, said Ellen Buonpastore, DiStefano’s mother.
“He was dressed in full uniform, and they gave his seat away,” Buonpastore said.
But the sergeant was eventually given an escort to LaGuardia Airport, and DiStefano, 29, went to Lenny’s Clam Bar where he was greeted by family, friends and local elected officials. His mother said it feels “wonderful” to have her only son home.
“Now I’m going to fatten him up, make him happy,” Buonpastore said. “I’m very proud of him.”
This was DiStefano’s fifth deployment, but first to Afghanistan. The career-Army man was previously stationed in Iraq and Kuwait. DiStefano is scheduled to deploy again, this time for Africa at the end of January.
“He tells me, ‘Mom, I go back because now somebody else gets to go home and see their mom and their family,’” Buonpastore said. “It’s a brotherhood.”
The Army man didn’t always know he wanted to join the ranks, but after he did, his mother said he has come to love the job.
“He loves taking care of the younger soldiers,” she said. “A lot of kids are coming out of foster care and they have nowhere to go, so they wind up in the Army. My son takes them under his wing.”
“He’s a rough guy with a big heart,” she continued.
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