It was an exciting moment for those who had the privilege of greeting the 81 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry as the two buses carrying the soldiers rolled past the courthouse in Butler Thursday afternoon. The troops were returning from their tour of duty in Iraq, which began in December; they had been mobilized for training in July 2004.

It was great that people downtown at the time were given the opportunity to share in the joy of the troops' safe return. It would have been an even more joyous occasion if the unit had not lost one of its members — Carl Morgain — to a car bomb during the unit's deployment.

Hopefully, the troops will quickly adjust to being back home, with the knowledge that Butler County residents appreciate the sacrifices they made in carrying out their important duties and mission.