Laurie Schlosser had not seen her husband, Spc. Edward Schlosser, since last October.

"I am so pumped to see him," said Schlosser as she sat next to her friend, Ashley Bartels.

"I have missed him so much."

The couple reunited Monday evening during a ceremony in a crowded Wilson Fitness Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord North.

Approximately 250 soldiers from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division returned from Afghanistan.

The majority of the brigade's 4,000 soldiers will return to JBLM in waves before the end of July.

First activated in April 2007 and originally slated to serve in Iraq, the brigade was eventually sent to Afghanistan as part of the Obama administration's buildup.

It was the first Stryker brigade in Army history to serve in Afghanistan.

Serving primarily in Kandahar province, the brigade lost 36 soldiers, primarily due to improvised explosive devices.

Sgt. Robert Johnson, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, returned with a stuffed, yellow duck peaking out the back of his assault pack.

"His name is ‘Toby,'" said Johnson with a smile.

"The mother of a friend of mine who was killed sent it to me."

Despite the brigade's sacrifices, the mood in fitness center was happy.

"I am just excited to see him again," said Amanda Barretta as she waited to reunite with her husband, Sgt. Kevin Barretta.

"We had big plans once he got back, but we changed them and decided to stay at home, get back into the groove and be a family."

After a few welcome home remarks by Col. Brian Pugmire, the soldiers were dismissed and the happy and teary reunion of families and friends began.

"This deployment has been hard," said Ashley Bartels, whose husband will return home in about three weeks.

"I am just glad that they are all home safely."