"Well it's been a little quiet around the house," said Lisa Rossi, who was there to welcome her son home.
But there was nothing quiet about Sunday's welcome home ceremony at Delaware State University in Dover.
324 members of the Delaware National Guard are back home safe from Afghanistan, and their family and friends gathered to cheer them on.
"I had my moments when I cried, but I am so happy he's home," said Tikesha Ross.
The 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion was scheduled for a 12 month active-duty tour.
After successfully completing their missions, the 198th sent soldiers home in four different phases. Some returned four to five months early.
"What a relief to have them all back after a difficult mission. They were part of the take down operation over in Afghanistan. They were just doing a magnificent job in dismantling the communications infrastructure over there," said Major General Frank Vavala.
Dr. Jill Biden was among the welcoming party.
In Afghanistan, the Battalion provided communications to include the support and management of four regional network control centers, theater-wide tactical communications support missions, and enterprise level help desk support.
"We are real proud of all these men and women. It is a glorious day here in the first state," said Major General Vavala.
There were a lot of smiles and a great deal of relief from the families to have their loved ones home.
