This soldier from Spillville is looking forward to coming home

Brandon Albertson of rural Spillville

Rural Spillville resident Brandon Albertson says he is "pretty excited" to be returning home to Northeast Iowa soon.

Albertson was among the soldiers from the 322nd Engineering Battalion based in Decorah who went on a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan.

While on deployment, Albertson says he helped to build five command centers and one mess hall in a couple of different locations.  He also helped to build "Little Blue," a new operating base that Albertson says was "out in the middle of nowhere" in Kandahar Province. 

It was a pretty big adjustment to leave Northeast Iowa and go to Afghanistan, Albertson admits, but he's proud of the work the unit did.

He's also making plans for when he returns home--Albertson says he's thinking of heading back to school.