Seven former U.S. prisoners of war smiled and waved to a crowd of well-wishers Saturday as they boarded a C-17 in Germany that was carrying them home to their families in the United States, AP reported.

The former POWs were to fly to Fort Bliss in Texas, where five of them are stationed with the U.S. Army's 507th Maintenance Company. Two other Apache helicopter crewmen, who are with the First Cavalry Division, will then continue to their home base at Fort Hood.

A nine-member team of doctors, psychiatrists and a chaplain were accompanying the seven on their trans-Atlantic flight, which was expected to last about 13 hours. The plane, which took off at 2:55 p.m. local time, will be refueled in flight to avoid requiring an additional stop, U.S. Air Force officials in Germany said.

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