A back-yard party on Saturday was held in honor of Craig Strohl Jr. of Summit Hill, who returned home following a year in Iraq.

Among the large gathering were numerous other members of his military squad.He is a member of the 2-112th Infantry 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based in Huntingdon County.Strohl attained the status of ranger in the military.He and the other soldiers attending the party returned home from Iraq earlier this month.Strohl said their main duty ws to go into ciites and work with Iraqi citizens and police departments in an effort to find terrorists.Strohl is the son of Craig and Margaret Strohl Sr. of Nesquehoning.He is a 1998 graduate of Panther Valley High School and is married to the former Korin Boyd.He is employed at the State Prison in Frackville.Among the other soldiers in attendance were Jason Fisher, also a ranger, of Tremont; Shaun Peer of Latrobe, Jamie Booher of Mount Union, Huntingdon County; Brian Seager of Altoona, Greg Flagle of Mount Union, Brad Semple of Mount Union, Scott McClain of Mount Union, and James Murray of Pittsburgh. All were in stryker platoons.Large signs were posted on the front of the residence along North Oak Street in Summit Hill, welcoming the soldiers.For the soldiers, this was their first tour of duty in Iraq.