FARGO (AP) - Last month Amy Dobler put the finishing touches on a yearbook for North Dakota's 141st Engineer Combat Battalion. As the officer candidate flipped through photos, she recognized how different this holiday season would be.

A year ago, members of the 141st dressed in bulletproof vests and Kevlar helmets to open Christmas gifts.

This year, Dobler, who lives in Fargo, anticipated a less dangerous gathering with her family in Valley City.

In February and March, more than 400 soldiers from the 141st returned to North Dakota after a year's service in Iraq.

While the soldiers are grateful to be home, the months since have been filled with moments of readjustment.

Spc. Terrence Whittet, 23, returned to Fargo unsure whether he would return to school or seek full-time work.

Before being deployed to Iraq, he expected to finish an electrical engineering degree at North Dakota State University. He was more than a semester behind when he left, but overseas service put him another year and a half behind schedule.

The gap was too large to make up, he said. He instead chose to pursue an associate degree in computer and network technology from Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead.

He's also working full time for Integrity Windows in Fargo.

"When you're gone over a year, some things are never the same," he said. "I feel like a year of my life is missing."

Readjusting to civilian life hasn't been easy for Sgt. Charles Holzer, 29.

He found it hard to sleep for the first two months he was home. He thought about the soldiers in his unit who were killed. He thought about the things he used to enjoy that no longer had meaning.

The time apart stressed his relationship with his wife. Lack of sleep contributed to a short temper.

Trying to find his way in a world that changed, Holzer poured his efforts into his plumbing job. He avoided social gatherings.

"The first few months were rough for me," he said. Soldiers were told it would take time to readjust, he said, but it's only recently that everyday life feels somewhat normal.

"When you return, you're hoping everything's going to be great and wonderful and you'll jump back into your life. It takes time," he said. "It's finally getting better."

Dobler, 28, said she eased into her previous life. Her father and brother were deployed at the same time. Although they experienced the same things, they don't talk about Iraq much at all, she said.

"Everything over there is a different world," she said.

Whittet describes his time in Iraq as a "dream."

The unit's primary mission was to improve the roads and supply routes north of Baghdad. Soldiers identified what the military calls improvised explosive devices, or roadside bombs. Four of the unit's members were killed.

Since they've been back, members of the 141st say they've been treated like heroes. They're thankful for the support of family, friends and the community at large.

Still, they can't help but think about the country they left less than a year ago.

"You worry about what you did over there - Is it helping or isn't it?" Holzer said. "Then you look at how many people can go to school now and how many can vote. That makes it worth it."