The first of Hawai'i's citizen soldiers who spent the past year in Iraq will be returning tomorrow, missing Christmas but making it home for New Year's Eve.

A homecoming for about 136 Army Reservists attached to the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry is scheduled for 1 a.m. at Building 117 near the 29th Brigade Combat Team headquarters at Kalaeloa. Most of those soldiers are from Mainland units who were added to the 100th Battalion.

A second homecoming for 86 Hawai'i soldiers is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Kalaeloa. Most of those soldiers are from the 100th Battalion, but there will be some soldiers from other Hawai'i units as well, officials said.

Pam Lau, whose son, 23-year-old Sgt. Keenan Lau, is expected home next week, said the excitement is building.

"It's like a steam pot with a lid ready to pop. The families are very excited finally to have their loved ones coming home," said Lau, the "family readiness group" leader for the 100th Battalion's D Company.

About 1,700 Hawai'i National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers with the 29th Brigade Combat Team are winding up 11 months in Iraq that made history for the unit. Not since the Vietnam War had the brigade been mobilized and deployed for combat.

The remainder of the brigade will be streaming back to Hawai'i through mid-January.

Lau said she's planning on attending all the homecomings for the "Go For Broke" battalion, and families will have lei, signs and banners for not only the Hawai'i troops, but the Mainland soldiers as well.

The Mainland Reservists get to return first because they have to demobilize from active duty and then head home. Some families could not afford to make the trip to Hawai'i to greet loved ones.

"No matter what we do we won't replace their families," Lau said. "But we'll try to make it a good homecoming for them."

A 100th Battalion lu'au is planned for Jan. 15. With families and friends of the soldiers, 2,000 are expected to attend. A May 6 parade in Waikiki is planned for all military members in Hawai'i, and a series of "Freedom Salutes" will be held for the returning troops.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.