FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. " Lt. Col. Sebastien Joly (center right), commander, 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, transfers responsibility of command as he salutes the company commanders of two redeploying u...

Story and Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Kelly S. Malone, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Public Affairs

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- More than 90 Soldiers with the 515th Engineer Company and 49th Engineer K9 Detachment, 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, braved the snow and ice to arrive at Fort Leonard Wood where friends and Family awaited at Baker Theater for a redeployment ceremony, Dec. 14.

Military working dogs, their handlers, combat engineers and support troops from the "Fightin' Fifth" battalion returned from Afghanistan -- some sooner than others. The 515th EN Co. deployment was curtailed after just two months into their route clearance missions.

Lt. Col. Sebastien Joly, commander, 5th EN Bn., 4th MEB, 1st Inf. Div., said it was his understanding as part of the overall force decrease in Afghanistan that route clearance units were also drawing down therefore, the 515th was identified to come home early to meet the drawdown benchmarks put in place.

The 49th Engineer K9 Detachment deployed earlier this year for a typical 10-month tour.

"The 49th EN K9 Det. conducted unique operations, and through their valiant efforts, they ensured the freedom of maneuver for any unit they worked for by attaching themselves to route clearance packages increasing finds [of explosives] by 20 percent," Capt. Chad Sparks, commander, 49th EN Det., 5th EN Bn., 4th MEB, 1st Inf. Div. said. "As the last canine company headquarters element in Afghanistan, they successfully closed down two of the largest [military working dog] kennels in theater at both Bagram and Kandahar airfields."

Baker Theater was filled with friends, fellow Soldiers and Families with all types of handmade signs and holiday greetings.

"We are incredibly grateful to be able to welcome home all these heroes to reunite them with their loved ones," Joly said. "On behalf of a grateful nation please accept our thanks for your service and our sincerest wishes for a smooth transition back to live at Fort Leonard Wood."

Joly then quickly turned the companies over to their senior noncommissioned officers, who dismissed the troops from the stage and into the waiting arms of their Families and comrades.