LONDONDERRY, N.H. (AP) – Thirteen soldiers from the 821st Transportation Company returned to New Hampshire Thursday after spending more than a year deployed to Iraq.

Four of the soldiers received bronze stars, and Gov. Craig Benson gave the Londonderry-based unit a certificate of commendation at a homecoming ceremony Thursday night.

Unit members said they didn’t face combat in Iraq, but areas of Balad Air Base, where they were quartered, came under almost daily assault by insurgents. The base is located about 40 miles north of Baghdad.

“The only dangers we had were mortar attacks,” said Sgt. Robert Williams of Haverhill, Mass. “After April 9, we were getting hit three, four times a day sometimes.”

None of the soldiers were wounded. They have been deployed since Dec. 6, 2003.

Along with mortar attacks, the area also was subject to discomforts that included sandstorms and desert insects.

Williams offered just one word, “great,” to describe his feelings on returning home. But he offered advice to fellow troops still stationed overseas.

“Keep your head down,” he said. “Come back home safely.”

Sgt. 1st Class Edward Hetman of East Bridgewater, Mass., said regular attacks didn’t discourage the unit’s soldiers. He said many Iraqi citizens willingly risked their safety to work with Americans.

“They know what they’re looking for – it’s freedom,” he added. “They don’t know what it is yet, but they know we’re there to help.”

His thoughts quickly turned to New England’s winter weather.

“I’ve got to get to used to the cold,” he said. “It’s quite different.”

The soldiers’ unit was responsible for tracking convoy movements in Iraq. It falls under the Massachusetts-based 94th Regional Readiness Command. The command is the Army Reserve’s New England headquarters unit.

It oversees about 5,600 soldiers in the region. More than 3,000 of them have been mobilized for the war against terrorism.

AP-ES-12-30-04 2115EST