JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - Spc. Micah Maxwell is going to miss what being in Iraq offered - a set schedule and no worries about a job.

Like many soldiers of the Idaho Army National Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team who have been Iraq for the past nine months, Maxwell, of Coeur d'Alene, has returned to this Tacoma base wondering about sparse work opportunities ahead.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be back," Maxwell said on Thursday between outprocessing sessions. "Honestly, I'd rather be over there. It's easier. I was good at something, and there is no next mission now."

After having everything, including his schedule and meals determined in Iraq, the single 23-year-old who was a gunner in Iraq questions what lies ahead.

"I'm not sure how it will play out," Maxwell said. "I'll relax for a month (on leave), then maybe I'll go to school. But I'm not sure what I'll study."

Not that Maxwell and his fellow soldiers don't have moments they can't wait for.

"The first thing I'll do is hug my dad (Patrick)," Maxwell said. "Some soldiers have kids they haven't even seen yet."

Yes, soldiers are excited to get home.

But Army leaders say the outprocessing procedures at this base, which includes weapons and equipment turn-in, medical, dental and psychological reviews and other sessions, are more methodical than before. They can last between a week and a month, depending on the soldier.

Families aren't allowed to visit during this time, which agonizingly prolongs the soldiers' reunions with family. Reporters were not allowed to view any outprocessing procedures due to fears it may interrupt the process.

While some soldiers believe the outprocessing drags on too long, military leaders say the time is important to ensure each soldier has been properly examined and given the chance to seek help. Operations continued on Labor Day to avoid any further delays.

"We're being very cautious," Maj. Dan Johnson said. "I don't want to say there's paranoia, but we're going through everything with a fine-tooth comb."

Col. Tim Marsano said outprocessing efforts have increased dramatically from when troops returned from Iraq in 2005.

"We're really hammering that they stay as long as they need to rather than just thinking they'll get into the VA system later," said Marsano, adding that some soldiers missed out on benefits earlier due to a lack of documentation.

The military in recent years has brought on more outreach, counseling and referral assistance from organizations such as the Vet Center, a subsidiary of the VA.

"Nobody greeted us from Vet Centers in 2005," said Dan Ashley, a Vet Center counselor who previously served with the Reserve and was deployed. "There was only a general VA briefing for when you went home."

This is the Vet Center's third trip to Fort Lewis and it will hold multiple followup events with soldiers at home.

"It's become a big effort," Ashley said. "We've taken an active role."

Johnson said soldiers are being tested for a variety of diseases, including tuberculosis, due to airborne issues associated with practices such as trash burning in Iraq. And there's relatively new concerns such as traumatic brain injury, which happens with a blow to the head.

"I didn't know what that was in 2005," Johnson said.

Ashley said he believes the need for soldier assistance has increased in recent years due to multiple deployments. Perhaps the most common issue he sees is anxiety over the lack of jobs.

"Jobs are always a big issue," Ashley said. "It puts a lot of pressure on a veteran to leave a job, especially in this economy. A lot of soldiers are worried about that. The military provides structure, and rebuilding that structure can be difficult for veterans when they get back home."