600 National Guard Soldiers Welcomed Home

Six hundred Massachusetts National Guard soldiers are being welcomed home from Afghanistan Friday.

The 181st Infantry regiment has been providing security and helping with reconstruction since last summer.

Maj. Lisa Ahaesy of the Massachusetts National Guard said the unit will get a well-deserved rest.

“They've been gone for a year, which feels very long to us, but even longer for their families here at home,” Ahaesy said. “So we look forward to reuniting them with families over the next week.”

The unit was made up of armories located in Worcester, Agawam, Hudson, Gardner and Cambridge.