"The excitement really didn't hit me until I saw my family out there," said Spc. Jason Kurtzman of Sardis, Ohio.

It was one year ago to the day that the soldiers of this unit left for Afghanistan. The group that returned home today was part of the Medivac team. The Guard said the unit helped save more than 800 lives in the Middle East.

"We all got along pretty good, I think a lot more than other companies because we are laid back, but we know how to do our jobs, and we get it done as best as we can," said Kurtzman.

For family members, emotion ran high on today's homecoming.

"I have two wonderful boys. I've been blessed, I can't ask for anything more," said Dawn Rose, Justin's mother.

Students from Sardis, Woodsfield and Hannibal Elementary also pitched in to help make hundreds of signs welcoming soldiers home. Their work was displayed outside of the school and on Ohio State Route 7.