Spc. Brent Brounds couldn’t sleep on his homecoming flight to Kansas.

The Kansas Army National Guard soldier hadn’t seen American soil in nearly seven months while he was on duty in Germany.

“I wanted to see as much of the U.S. as I could,” he said. “I was glued to the window.”

Brounds, Pittsburg, was among about 400 members of the 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry  which has an armory in Lawrence  and the 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery who returned Sunday to Salina following a tour guarding U.S. military bases in Europe.

The soldiers participated in a ceremony Monday afternoon before they were allowed to return home to their families.

While the soldiers were away, 13 babies were born to the group and one couple was married by teleconference. Sixteen soldiers have volunteered for another deployment and will leave again soon.

“As we celebrate Labor Day, it’s perfect to recognize the labor of those who have operated in Operation Enduring Freedom,” said Maj. Gen. Gregory Gardner, adjutant general of the Kansas National Guard.

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said he was a teenager when soldiers were coming home from the Vietnam War. Moran said the country did a “terrible job” then of recognizing its soldiers.

“As an elected official and as an American, I want to make sure we never make that mistake again,” Moran said, to loud applause from the soldiers and families.

For Staff Sgt. George O’Brien Jr., Lawrence, the homecoming reminded him of return trips from Panama and Iraq, where he served during Operation Desert Storm.

“It’s a beautiful country, a very beautiful country,” he said of Germany. “The German culture was great. They welcomed us with open arms.”

O’Brien’s father, George O’Brien Sr., met him in Salina.

“It doesn’t get any easier each time they go over,” he said. “It’s good to see them come home.”

Spc. Curtis Zimmerman, Lawrence, said he used the trip to Germany to learn about his roots.

“My family’s originally from Germany, so it was nice to see what it was like,” he said.

For many of the soldiers, the return home also will mean returning to their civilian jobs.

Sgt. Brent Anders, Manhattan, said that Kansas State University, where he’s employed as a Web master for the continuing education department, was accommodating during his tour in Europe.

“My boss bent over backwards,” Anders said. “He wanted to do everything he could to help me serve the nation.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.