SCHOFIELD BARRACKS — The last unit of Schofield-based soldiers to return from Iraq flew home yesterday after spending the past year fixing trucks and escorting supply convoys in the Middle East.

Hundreds of family members and friends greeted 151 soldiers of the 536th Maintenance Company with loud cheers during a welcome ceremony at a Schofield Barracks gymnasium.

"I've been waiting for this moment. Too long, way too long," said Spc. Christina Mariscal, as she looked at her 21-month-old son and her husband.

Sent to Iraq last September, the company repaired trucks, radios and other communications equipment around the northern city of Mosul.

They were among the 4,000 soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division (Light) sent to Iraq since the start of the war in 2003. An additional 5,000 soldiers from the division were sent to Afghanistan.

Mariscal, 22, of Las Vegas, said her son, Alberto Jr., hadn't been walking when she came home on leave nine months ago, but now he was on his feet.

Her husband, Alberto Sr., said he showed the boy pictures of his mother while she was away, and the child would kiss them.

Sgt. Webster Schnabel of Makaha saw his 4-month-old son for only the second time. He said he wanted to do "the normal things" now that he's back — like relax and spend time with his wife, Leah, their two daughters and son.

All members of the company returned safely to Hawai'i.

Thirteen soldiers from Schofield Barracks have been killed in Iraq. An additional 15 died in Afghanistan.

Marine Corps Base Hawai'i still has a battalion of 1,000 troops in Afghanistan. All its troops in Iraq have returned home.

About 80 percent of the Hawai'i Army National Guard, or about 2,400 citizen-soldiers, are in Iraq or Afghanistan.