The Minnesota Army National Guard Red Bulls 34th Infantry Division saw its last soldiers back in Minnesota Tuesday afternoon. Watch a video of the soldiers stepping off the plane to be greeted by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Maj. Gen. Richard Nash, who led the troops overseas.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Maj. Gen. Richard Nash welcomed the last wave of 34th Red Bull Infantry Division soldiers back to Minnesota as the troops departed a plane at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport Tuesday afternoon.

More than 1,000 Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers were deployed to southern Iraq with the Red Bulls for the past year. The division helped train Iraqi Security Forces, developed southern Iraq's civil capacity and economic security, and set conditions for a successful draw-down of U.S. forces in the area, according to a Minnesota National Guard press release.

Maj. Gen. Nash, a 1968 Jordan High School graduate, wrote periodical columns about the deployment that were published in the Jordan Independent.

Staff writer Katrina Styx took a camera to the airport. See photos of the soldiers' first steps in Minnesota since February 2009 in this slideshow:

Applications are being accepted through April 1 for the United States Naval Academy (USNA) Summer Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Program 2010.  STEM is held in three sessions: June 7-12, June 14-19 and June 21-26.

The academy’s Summer STEM Program is an overnight academic camp designed for rising eighth- to 11th-grade students in good academic standing who have an interest in math and science.   

More than 1,000 Citizen Soldiers from the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division are returning to Minnesota.  The 34th Infantry Division Soldiers will return in four separate groups; the first group of 250 soldiers arrived Sunday, Jan. 24.

Since May 2009, the 34th Infantry Division (34th ID) provided command and control of military forces in the southern third of Iraq.  Headquartered at Contingency Operating Base Basra, the 34th Infantry Division led a force of approximately 14,000 U.S. service members throughout nine of Iraq's 18 provinces.  

Michael Tolzmann of Joint Hometown News Service reports:

KITGUM, Uganda - When the son of a Belle Plaine couple stepped onto the orange-red soil of this Central African nation, he could have been walking into a National Geographic special presentation.

Jordan High School hosted Jordan veterans Tuesday morning in a Liberty/Veterans program. Guest speakers U.S. Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), Sen. Claire Robling (R-Jordan), and State Rep. Mark Buesgens (R-Jordan) addressed the audience and veterans. The Jordan Vets Honor Guard also fired a three-volley salute at the close of the ceremony. See photos staff writer Katrina Styx took in the slide show below:

Friends and family of Spc. Joshua Anderson gathered at Lagoon Park Wednesday to dedicate a bench installed in the fallen soldier's name. See photos staff writer Katrina Styx took at the event in the slide show below:

Valleyview Assisted Living hosted a Veterans' Day luncheon Wednesday that included a presentation of the colors by the Jordan Vets Honor guard and a concertina band. See some pictures Katrina Styx took of the event in the slide show below: