BOUNTVILLE -- Nothing likely could have made for a happier Easter for the families of about 30 area Army Reservists than the soldiers' Saturday return from Iraq to Tri-Cities Regional Airport.

Lt. Brett Little, commander of the Gray-based 702nd Engineer Company of the U.S. Army Reserve, said the 30-plus members of his unit returned home Saturday aboard three separate commercial flights.

The 702nd soldiers were returning home after spending 10 months in Iraq, where they built roads, completed other "horizontal construction" projects and helped demolish U.S. bases that are being closed as the U.S. presence in Iraq is being reduced.

About six 702nd soldiers arrived about noon Saturday aboard one flight, while three others returned aboard a 2:30 p.m. flight and the balance returned shortly before 5 p.m. aboard the third flight.

Aboard the last flight of the day was Staff Sgt. Kenny Wells, of southern Greene County.

Awaiting Wells in the terminal were his wife, Sandra, a leader of the 702nd Engineer Company's Family Readiness Group.

Sandra Wells said she had arrived at Tri-Cities Regional Airport at 11 a.m. to help organize snacks for the returning soldiers and their families and had been present to greet all three returning flights.

Also with her throughout the day was her son, Austin Hoyle, a Nolachuckey Elementary 8th grader.

A large number of other family members, including Kenny Wells' parents Carolyn and Steve Wells, and the rest of the Wells family's children, were present for the 5 p.m. arrival of the flight that brought Staff Sgt. Wells home.

Family members unfurled a large banner that read "Welcome Home Kenny" shortly before the returning soldiers entered the airport terminal.

As it turned out, Wells was among the first of the returning soldiers to enter the terminal and he was quickly engulfed in a family "group hug."

During a brief interview conducted on Saturday afternoon, Staff Sgt. Wells said he "missed the little things" during his deployment to Iraq and looked forward to spending time with his family here.

Among the other families present on Saturday afternoon to greet returning 702nd Engineer Company soldiers was the family of Sgt. Nick Harrison, of Kingsport.

One of his grandmothers, Billie Roberts, of Kingsport, held a large hand-lettered sign that said "Welcome Home 702nd Sgt. Nick H."

Harrison's other grandmother, Jean Pitts, his mother and father, Judy and Guy Harrison, and his grandfather, Mack Roberts, a U.S. Army veteran, also were present to greet Sgt. Harrison.

Earlier Saturday, Sgt. Bruce "Tanner" Shankle, of Johnson City, had been one of three 702nd soldiers who arrived aboard another commercial flight.

Shankle was greeted by family members, including his wife, Amanda Shankle, of Johnson City. Also present were family members, Annette Wesley, of Bristol, and Shannon and Channing Peterson, of Memphis.

Sgt. Shankle said the 702nd soldiers had been bussed from Fort McCoy, Wisc., to the airport at Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday night.

They had flown to either Atlanta, Ga., or Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday before taking connecting flights to Tri-Cities Regional Airport, Sgt. Shankle said.

The 702nd Engineer Company is part of the Knoxville-based 844th Engineer Battalion.

On Easter Sunday, the "main body" of about 150 Army Reserve 844th Engineer Battalion soldiers returned to Knoxville, where they were greeted by hundreds of supporters, according to media reports.