KALAELOA — Fifteen months away from families, the last year of which was spent in Iraq, ended for many of the 238 Hawai'i National Guard soldiers who returned home last night.

More than 1,000 family and friends were on hand in a hangar at the former Barbers Point to greet the returning 29th Support Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry soldiers.

It was one of the first waves of Guard soldiers to return from the historic deployment.

The bulk of the Army Reserve's 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry already is back, and through today, 800 Guard soldiers are expected home. More will return in coming weeks.

At 10:40 p.m., state adjutant Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee told the eager crowd, welcome home banners and piles of lei in their hands, that it would be just a few more minutes.

He was right, and 10 minutes later, to the theme music of "Rocky," the troops marched in, in formation.

The citizen soldiers tried to keep from grinning, but for some, it was just impossible. Their happiness at being home was so great.

Sgt. Tony Thairathom, 23, from Nu'uanu, provided security at the south gate of Logistics Support Area Anaconda north of Baghdad for the past year.

"The hardest thing is being away from home, family, loved ones," he said. "To be back is just a great feeling."

Iraq was "just a whole other experience." Mortar and rocket fire came in frequently, "but you get used to it."

He said he'll remember the talcum-like dirt, but he's glad to leave it behind.

"It's good to see lights that are normal, cars and not military vehicles," the 29th Support Battalion soldier said.

Capt. Paul Agena's 130 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry returned from Camp Victory near Baghdad International Airport without any combat injuries.

"We were very fortunate," said the 36-year-old B Company commander from 'Ewa Beach.

The company also was lucky. One soldier was grazed in the helmet by a bullet while on patrol, but was otherwise OK.

"It was a very rough deployment," Agena said. "All my men performed spectacularly. They held up through the whole deployment and did a terrific job."

Lee told the soldiers, "It's been such a long time and our state is so grateful you are back safe."

Gov. Linda Lingle thanked the troops for their service and said, "You are our heroes, welcome home."

Earlier, Jana Pacheco of Maui waited for her husband, Spc. John Carlos Pacheco, with 7-month-old son C.J. in her arms and their 4- and 8-year-old daughters in tow.

"This is my war baby," she joked about little C.J., who was conceived just before Dad left for training.

The deployment is "something I'll never forget. I never realized how much my husband meant to me until he left."

Asked how many family were waiting for Sgt. Gene Agbayani, 29, a 1994 Waipahu High School graduate, his sister-in-law started counting off, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6," before Agbayani's sister, Jane, concluded, "16 of us."

With Gene in Iraq, "There was a lot of thinking, of course, I think for my mom, sleepless nights," Jane Agbayani said. "He said it was very hard and he wished he was home, but he would do it for the country."

Sherlaine Casio, who came in from Maui to greet her husband, Spc. Ryan Casio, said "the last couple of days were like waiting for him again for another year."

A produce manager for Morrad Food Service, Casio was an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry who spent a lot of time outside Camp Victory, his wife said.

Sherlaine said she'll support him in whatever he wants to do, but, "I don't want him to go again (to Iraq). I want him to stay home."

More than a year away, with training, was a long time.

"Too long," she said.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.