A total of 66 soldiers from the Montana Army National Guard’s 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion will return to the Flathead Valley Saturday afternoon.

Members of the Kalispell-based battalion are scheduled to arrive by charter aircraft at 1 p.m. at Glacier Jet Center at Glacier Park International Airport, according to Maj. Tim Crowe, a public affairs officer for the Guard.

The 495th has been serving in southern Afghanistan since December 2012. The troops reached Fort Hood, Texas, on Sunday and have been finishing demobilization work since then.

“We are very proud of the professionalism and service of the soldiers in the 495th CSSB during the past year,” said Maj. Gen. Matt Quinn, adjutant general for the Montana National Guard, “These soldiers moved an incredible amount of supplies and equipment, under extreme conditions, during their deployment, helping to ensure the success of the overall mission in southern Afghanistan.”

Soldiers from the 495th coordinated and ran tactical convoys on some of the most dangerous roads in southern Afghanistan and also looked after the well-being of any troops and equipment entering their area of responsibility.