BELLWOOD, Pa. -- The first wave of Pennsylvania National Guardsmen from the 56th Stryker Brigade combat team are returning Tuesday after a year-long tour in Iraq.

The more than 4,000 national guardsmen will return in Pennsylvania within the next few weeks.

The soldiers returning Tuesday are from units located in Altoona, Huntingdon, Everett and Hamburg.

The Stryker Brigade worked north of Baghdad and conducted approximately 800 combined operations with Iraqi security forces.