Hugs, kisses, tears and cheers awaited four National Guardsmen who returned home from Iraq on Saturday.

Their arrival at Bismarck Municipal Airport, along with five others across North Dakota, signaled the end of the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion's deployment, which began some 15 months ago.

These soldiers had volunteered to stay about a month extra, working port detail in Kuwait in preparing the 141st's equipment for return to the United States.

Ryan Usselman, 22, had only been in the National Guard for a little over a year before being sent to Iraq.

"I was told if we'd volunteer to help get equipment ready to be sent back, it would get everybody home earlier, so that's why I volunteered," he said.

Family and friends were on the top of Usselman's list of what he missed, "and I can't begin to tell you what I won't forget about Iraq," Usselman said. "It definitely was a different experience. I met a lot of good people and made a lot of new friends."

"I won't forget the heat - one day it was 146," said Sergeant Matt Ackerman, who was met by about 30 members of his family, including his children, Megan, 3, and Logan 6. "This is what I missed the most," he said, grabbing both children, who he hadn't seen since a quick visit in November.

"Dad sent back 42 postcards while he was gone and we put them up on a map," Logan said, not about to let loose of his father while the throng of well-wishers packed in around them.

Gerald Casavant, a 22-year veteran of the National Guard, said part of the reason he stayed behind for the extra duty was because of his plans to retire from the Guard in December.

"It'll add up to my time towards retirement," he said.

While there wasn't any green grass, as Casavant had hoped for, even the brown stuff was a pleasant diversion from the endless stretches of sand he had become accustomed to. And the mid-40 degree temperatures were a definite improvement on the scalding temperatures Casavant had learned to put up with.

Bryan Odegaard was just happy to be home with friends and family - just in time to celebrate his birthday Saturday. His friend, Jan Munson, said she and others had been able to keep in close contact with Odegaard during his time away.

"We sent a lot of packages with foods, treats and anything else he'd ask for," she said.

According to National Guard spokesman Rob Keller, "All the soldiers from the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion are now out of Kuwait and Iraq. Approximately 100 soldiers from Fox Battery of the 188th Air Defense Artillery, Grand Forks, are still in Iraq at Forward Operating Base Warrior, near Kirkuk.

Three members of the 141st flew into Fargo's Hector International Airport on Saturday and two arrived at the Minot airport.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)