FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Members of the 170th Military Police Company arrived home at Fort Lewis early Monday for a tearful reunion with family members they hadn't seen since the company deployed to Iraq 15 months ago.

About 150 soldiers in the group known as the Dragonslayers returned to their families at 4:45 a.m.

Some returning father saw their children for the first time, said reporter Jeff Nguyen.

The company left in May 2007 for Iraq's western Al Anbar province to train and mentor Iraqi police. It founded a police academy and taught classes at the center.

Eighteen of the soldiers were honored with Bronze stars for their service in Iraq.