Members of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team’s Task Force Griz of the Idaho Army National Guard were welcomed home Friday after landing in Idaho Falls.

The troops had been deployed for the last year in several Middle East countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria and Qatar.

Task Force Griz was headquartered by the Montana Army National Guard and included soldiers from the Idaho, Montana, Florida and Nevada Army National Guards, an Idaho Army National Guard news release said.

Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Osteen was greeted at Idaho Falls Regional Airport by family members in the Aero Mark building, where concessions were set out for reunited families.

Osteen said he was providing support for allies in the regions where he was deployed and helped set up new bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Now that he’s back, Osteen said he would “play it by ear for a while,” before deciding what to do next.

“I’ve got a little leave, so I can do what I want to do for a while,” Osteen said.

Idaho Army National Guard troops were deployed as part of Operation Spartan Shield, which coordinates with and supports Middle Eastern allies as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Idaho residents composed a fifth of the task force and were deployed for 10 months.

“These soldiers embody what the National Guard is all about: citizen-soldiers who serve their nation when called upon and return home to their families and communities,” said Brig. Gen. Farin Schwartz, Commander, Idaho Army National Guard, in the release. “It’s an honor to welcome these soldiers home and I thank each one of them for their service and dedication to our state and nation.”

A separate task force, which includes 600 Idaho troops, is taking over where Task Force Griz left off, and is expected to return next year.