Gary Faulkner, Osama Bin Laden Hunter, Back in 'Good Ol' U.S. of A.'
June 23, 2010 — -- Gary Faulkner, the American man who was detained in Pakistan while on a one-man mission to capture Osama bin Laden is back on American soil today for the first time since he was arrested and held for 10 days in Pakistan.
The 51-year-old was arrested June 13 while attempting to cross into Afghanistan from the mountainous region of northern Pakistan. He was armed with a pistol, sword, night-vision goggles, a map, and was reportedly carrying Christian literature.
When he was arrested, apparently for illegal weapons possession, Faulkner flatly told police he was intent on avenging the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks by killing Osama bin Laden.
A relative of Faulkner's told ABC News the family planned to have him medically examined before holding a homecoming celebration.
Faulkner called his brother, Dr. Scott Faulkner, shortly after he was released Tuesday. Pakistani authorities did not press charges.
"He said he was treated well, but he can't wait to get back to the good ol' U.S. of A.," Scott Faulkner told ABC News.
Scott Faulkner said that while in captivity, his brother did not have access to any media and was unaware of the onslaught of attention his case had garnered.
One family member told ABC News that while no one could predict Faulkner's reaction to instant celebrity, "it should be fun."
Scott Faulkner told reporters last week that even if he'd died during his dangerous mission, Gary Faulkner would have "loved" the media attention.
"It's waking America back up. ... The fact that it's bringing it back in the forefront of the American psyche, now there's hopefully going to be a renewed effort to get this guy [bin Laden]," Scott Faulkner said.
Faulkner landed in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon but still had a connecting flight and more than an hour-long drive to reach his Greeley, Colo., home.
During Faulkner's detention, his family worried about his health. When American officials visited Faulkner in Islamabad, Pakistan, with a doctor last week, they said he was in "good spirits" but needed dialysis for a failing kidney, said Faulkner's family.
Scott Faulkner told ABC News Monday that his brother recieved the treatment.
The family is "tickled" he's on his way back, Faulkner's brother-in-law John Martin said Tuesday.
"The family welcomes him. We'll give him a hug and go from there," he said.
Martin said Faulkner often talked openly with the family about his plans to hunt down the al Qaeda leader.
"He's a very deeply religious individual, very patriotic," Martin said June 15. "It seemed to be his thing. He thought it should be done, and he thought he could accomplish it."
Bin Laden has evaded one of the largest international manhunts in history and remains on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.
Faulkner's One Man Mission: No Training, No Problem
Martin said Faulkner was not trained in any way for a seek-and-destroy mission and had no military training, although he had been to the region before. Faulkner's brother Scott said he was trained in martial arts, and a sword and dagger were his "weapons of choice."
"We initially laughed when he told us he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden," one official, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, told The Associated Press after the arrest.
