WATERLOO - An Iowa National Guard battalion returned Monday from deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, greeted by an overflow crowd at the Aviation Support Facility.

Signs welcoming home each of the 65 soldiers by name lined Wagner and Big Rock roads leading into the facility where the Detachment 1, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 211th General Support Aviation Battalion is based. A homecoming ceremony was hosted at a hangar that also held two of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters some of the soldiers flew in Afghanistan.

Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews, who spoke during the brief ceremony, noted a sign he saw in the crowd: "I'm here to get my daddy. Get out of the way." That summed up the excitement of families who were about to be reunited,

The soldiers lined up in front of a massive American flag hanging from the rafters. When detachment commander Capt. Shawn Roland barked "Dismissed!" as the ceremony ended, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Soldiers, family members and friends quickly came together, hugging, kissing and talking.

Every battalion member who left Waterloo Aug. 5, 2008, returned Monday. Following a send-off ceremony at Hawkeye Community College the soldiers headed to their mobilization station at Fort Sill, Okla., to receive mission-specific training. The unit provided aerial medical evacuations via the helicopters, supplying services for patients en route to combat support hospitals.

It was successful," Sgt. Patrick Higgins, a flight medic from Waterloo, said of their mission. "We helped a lot of guys over there without very many injuries."

Sgt. Ray Mennenga of Humbolt added, "I thought it was a very rewarding job, helping people in need. Not only our forces, but multinational forces and Iraqi forces also."

The soldiers were met by groups of family and friends.

"It's surreal, y'know, just seeing so many people that I haven't met yet and so many people that I missed," said Higgins. His wife was on hand plus a group of friends that had grown while he was away. Higgins knew four of the people who came to welcome him only through the social networking Web site Facebook.

"Facebook is pretty huge over there," he said. "I didn't join until I was in Kuwait."

"It feels great to be home, it really does," said Mennenga, who was on his first deployment. "Especially the weather difference in between here and there."

Mennenga said he is looking forward to attending North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City and "just getting life back on track."

Sgt. Eric Fibikar of Lawler said it felt good to be back in Iowa.

"We've been waiting for this for, well, a year," he said. Fibikar served in Iraq for seven months before going to Afghanistan with a small group from the unit for 3 1/2 months.

On Monday, Fibikar was met by his girlfriend, Jill Haldane, and her family members. How did Haldane feel upon seeing him?

"Just relief," she said. "Glad he's back. Now I don't have to worry anymore."