Schofield Barracks soldiers were reunited with families and friends yesterday afternoon after the arrival of the first of four flights bringing 1,050 25th Infantry Division members back from a year in Iraq.

“;Everybody has been looking forward to this for a long time,”; said Maj. John Sego, rear detachment commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “;We have a lot of catching up to do.”;

The homecoming ceremony at Wheeler Air Field will be repeated today and Tuesday with the arrival of three more flights at Hickam Air Force Base.

The returning 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team “;Bronco Brigade”; soldiers were deployed in Sala ad Din province in northern Iraq. They helped with the transition of leadership and control of security operations to the Iraqi government and also completed projects to improve electrical power infrastructure and build and renovate schools, roads and rail systems, according to a news release.

They are the first of about 3,400 soldiers in the unit who will return before the Christmas holidays, according to the Army announcement.