WATCH NOW: Ironman Battalion returns home to Waterloo

WATERLOO -- Hundreds gathered behind a fence at the Waterloo Regional Airport on Wednesday afternoon, holding up signs to welcome home about 100 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers before hugging and kissing them minutes later after they were released.

The soldiers from Charlie Company, part of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry Regiment -- the "Ironman Battalion," departed the plane and lined up on the tarmac to whistles and cheers for a socially distanced crowd at the homecoming ceremony.

"We could not be more proud," said Brig. Gen. Steve Kremer. "You've continued to live up to the proud traditions of the Ironman Battalion. I want to say thank you for your sacrifice."

Such a ceremony would normally be held inside a place like the UNI-Dome, where the battalion was welcomed back in 2011. COVID-19 changed those plans in more ways than one.

"You've missed your family, you've missed your friends, you've missed your gatherings. Although, we've probably had a lot (fewer) gatherings this past year, under the current pandemic," Kremer said.

Once the ceremony was over, soldiers grabbed their bags and headed past the fence gates into the waiting arms of their cheering and crying family members.

"It's pretty exciting," Staff Sgt. Dane McDonald of Bondurant said of being back in Iowa. "This is my first homecoming where I actually have people to receive me, so that's pretty nice."

The soldiers had been deployed since May -- more than 10 months -- to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, providing security for a field artillery unit that operated a high-mobility artillery rocket system, known as HIMARS.

A total of 620 soldiers from that battalion are returning over the next week and a half after their fifth deployment since 2000, according to the Guard.

Lt. Paul Merrick of Ankeny wasn't sure if the youngest of his three sons -- Liam, 2 -- would remember him. But once he picked Liam up, the toddler refused to let his father put him down again.

"He's been hugging Dad for what seems like an hour," said Merrick's oldest, Oliver, 8.

And what did Oliver think of finally seeing his father? "I'm about to cry," he said.

It was Merrick's second deployment; his first was to Afghanistan more than a decade ago, before the three boys were born.

"We were able to talk every day I was over there, but that kind of makes it harder in a way, because you know what you're missing out on," Merrick said. "I'm just looking forward to spending time with them again."

Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green and Waverly Mayor Adam Hoffman, as well as representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, were also on hand for the ceremony.

Kremer said he was glad the predicted rain stayed away -- and that he kept his speech short.

"We've all sat through speeches, and it's really great to have people come out and say thank you," Kremer said after the ceremony. "But if you're in that group, if you're out there in formation, you're looking right beyond and you're going, 'There's my wife, there's my kids, there's my parents, and that's all I want to do is get out there.'"

Another 150 Ironman Battalion soldiers from the Headquarters Company will be welcomed home at the airport Tuesday. The exact time of their homecoming was not set as of Wednesday.