On Oct. 18, the 570th Sapper Company of the 555th Engineer Brigade - the Triple Nickel - returned from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. It was an early morning. Friends and families of the soldiers sat patiently at Joint Base Lewis-McChord at the 110th Chemical Battalion Readiness Bay. Brigade Commander Col. Timothy Holman casually made his way around the crowd, chatting with them as they waited for their loved ones.

Then, a garage door nearby opened. The 570th was marching in. The crowd cheered. But then the door abruptly shut as the sappers tried to enter. The crowd laughed. A soldier hastily worked to reopen the door.

The 570th wasn't home yet.

The door opened again and the engineers marched in to more cheers. Then they stood in formation, waiting to be reunited with their families. There were some brief remarks, an obligatory prayer, and the customary playing of the national anthem. It was kept short.

The soldiers were promptly released. Friends and family rushed to greet them.

>>> 555th Engineer Brigade commander Col. Timothy Holman chats with friends and family of the 570th Sapper brigade as they wait for their loved ones. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

>>> Members of the 570th Sapper Company enter the 110th Chemical Battalion Readiness Bay at JBLM for their redeployment ceremony. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

>>> The 570th Sapper Company stand at attention redeployment ceremony at JBLM as they wait to be reunited with their friends and family. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

>>> The 570th Sapper Company salute as the national Anthem is played during their redeployment ceremony at JBLM. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

A large group there to greet Pfc. Ben Vaivao mobbed the soldier. Children wrapped their arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Friends and relatives heaped leis around his neck, some made of flowers, others constructed from candy bars.

Pfc. Robert Flores grinned widely as he held is daughter Beatriz for the first time, holding her close. His wife, Reyna, said their daughter was just 3 weeks old. Flores said he's looking forward to relaxing with his family.

During their deployment, the company mostly conducted route clearance operations - looking for bombs and explosives on Afghan roads and to keep them from hurting anyone - whether that be international troops or local civilians.

Pfc. David Ferrando was the lead Husky driver. The Husky is a vehicle the engineers use to detect mines and bombs during route clearance operations. It was a lot to take in - this was his first deployment. But he said his training prepared him for it. "You get used to it real fast," he said.

"If anything we had too much training," said 1st Lt. Seth Johnson. Triple Nickel has a reputation for intensive training. Johnson said he and his men had trained for worst-case scenarios, but encountered mostly routine operations during their deployment. He said his soldiers got restless at times. "Complacency was one of our biggest challenges," he said.

But they always had to be cautious. Ferrando said that as the man driving the Husky, he felt a tremendous amount of pressure to stay vigilant and aware of his surroundings. "If you miss something, and somebody gets hurt, that's your fault," he said. "Thankfully nothing like that happened."

>>> Members of the 570th Sapper Company reunite with their friends and family at their redeployment ceremony at JBLM. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

They were stationed in Northern Afghanistan. During their deployment, they worked closely with allied troops. They frequently worked with German, Dutch, Belgian and Swedish troops. "Every mission was multi-national," said Johnson. He said they formed close bonds with their allies - particularly the Germans. He said German infantry regularly provided security for their operations.

During their mission they witnessed the drawdown of NATO troops as they prepared to hand over operations to the Afghans. While they were there, they saw several bases close as more coalition troops packed up to leave and cease operations. Because of the nature of their job, he said they didn't get to interact much with the local troops that will take over. But Johnson said he did have the opportunity to see some development projects, like women's schools.

>>> Pfc. Ben Vaivao is greeted with heaps of leis. Photo credit: Kevin Knodell

Afghanistan's future is uncertain as western troops leave. Last month, Ashraf Ghani became the country's new president after a hotly contested election and accusations of fraud. As Afghan troops prepare to take the lead on security - and local politicians bicker and argue - many in Afghanistan and the West feel apprehensive about the nation's future.

Some worry that Afghan troops and police aren't ready. Others fear that corruption and mismanagement of development funds by Afghan leaders could threaten reconstruction and reconciliation process. The political situation is complex - as will be any solution to the nation's woes.

But now that Johnson and is men are back safe, his plans are simple.

"Take a shower, get some Starbucks."