NORMAL -- National Guard Sgt. Adam McCrary had a word -- "surreal" -- to describe a homecoming that included hundreds of well-wishers with banners, signs and flags and an escort by police, firefighters and a dozen motorcyclists.

"Surreal -- I was amazed. I didn't expect anything of this caliber," said McCrary.

McCrary, 25, of Normal was among more than 130 soldiers from two companies of the Illinois Army National Guard's 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team who returned home Thursday after a yearlong deployment, most of which was spent in Afghanistan.

There were various homecoming events for soldiers coming home to Central Illinois. While some had crowds and police escorts, like in the Twin Cities and Lincoln, others preferred quiet family gatherings.

"My hope is that these fine young men can pick up their lives right where they left off and get back to normal as quickly as possible," said Lincoln Mayor Pro Tem Buzz Busby at an event in his city. "We just want to thank them for serving their country. You have to remember, we are at war and so this was a tremendous sacrifice on their part, as well as their families', and we too often forget about the sacrifices they make while their loved ones are away."

McCrary arrived by car from his Bartonville base to find about 500 people greeting him at State Farm Corporate Headquarters along Veterans Parkway. A car carrying him, his wife, Angela, and 5-year-old son, Nolan, and a second carrying his parents were escorted along the route by state, county and city police and a dozen motorcycle riders.

McCrary, who resumes his education at Illinois State University later this month, said he looked forward to reconnecting with his family. He noted he was home for only two months of Nolan's first two years.

In Lincoln, crowds under a sunny sky lined the route from Interstate 55 to the Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Lincoln and Logan County sheriff's police provided an escort for five soldiers, who rode on Lincoln fire trucks.

"This was a lot more than expected and this town has been great as far as care packages, letters and keeping in touch," Sgt. Jeremy Duffer said. "A lot of people don't get a reception like this, but I'm grateful to all of the people who turned out."

The soldiers who came home to Central Illinois were from Bartonville-based Company A, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry. Others from Woodstock-based Company D also came home Thursday.

They went to Fort Polk, La., for training before spending nine months in Nuristan, a province in northeastern Afghanistan. Based in Kala Gush, the unit had some injuries but no fatalities while providing security for reconstruction teams building bridges, roads, hospitals and schools.

"It was about 110 degrees over there, so this weather is even perfect," Duffer said.

The soldiers had been transitioning back to stateside life at Fort McCoy, Wis., before returning to their unit's home bases.

Jim Rehmann, on his second tour of duty, said it won't be too difficult to get back to normal.

"Communication is much easier and better now than it was in previous years," he said. "It's really leaps and bounds ahead of what it used to be, so it's easier to keep track of things going on with your community and family, and that helps so much because you don't get quite as homesick as you would earlier."