All soldiers with Fort Drum's 3rd Brigade Combat Team are officially home after a difficult year in Afghanistan.

During a ceremony on post Thursday, the 3rd BCT uncased its colors and welcomed home its approximately 3,500 soldiers.

The unit recently completed a 12 month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During the deployment, 32 soldiers who were members of or who were attached to the 3rd BCT were killed.

At least 270 others were wounded.

"It was extremely tough. To go into a place that has not been established to plant your guide on a territory that's been dominated by the enemy, that's not easy to do," said Colonel David Haight, 3rd Brigade Combat Team commander.

During the 3rd BCT's deployment, Haight said soldiers were able to get the Afghan army and police on the road to being able to function independently.

"The provinces that we went into - they were unsafe and they were interdicting economic and commercial traffic along the highways one and two that go into the southern portions of Kabul.  They were not open. We were able to defeat the enemy enough so that we could at least get those roads progressing.  There's now schools. Their economy is actually doing pretty well and we have put a lot of money and a lot of effort into building roads that didn't exist there before, so when you give mobility to them, they can get their goods to market and that's how we develop the economy," said Haight.

Haight also said plenty of work still needs to be done in Afghanistan to stabilize the country.