Thirteen soldiers from Hawai'i returned home yesterday from Afghanistan with memories of snow, strengthened friendships and smiling children grateful for small gifts.

Salofi Leosalagi, 24, hugged his 2-year-old son, Douglas, at Honolulu International Airport for the first time since August. Over the past 14 months, they've spent only four months together.

During his deployment with the 154th Security Forces Squadron of the Hawai'i Air National Guard, Leosalagi's thoughts were with his family and son, especially when he and other unit members visited with residents of their adopt-a-village program during their spare time.

"It's a very poor country," said Leosalagi, who was stationed at Bagram Air Base.

"We passed out a lot of things to them and it always made me appreciate how lucky and fortunate my son and family are to live here."

Returning home with Leosalagi were William Makana'ole, George Egloria, Brandon Popa, Shane Gloor, Kalani Kaiala, Ryan Ramaron-Schreiner, Robert Kim, Christopher Ulu, Shon Kele, Gary Oshiro, Nicholas Lovan and Parrish Sinn. Another 13-member team from their squadron is due home next month.

The homecoming was especially sweet for Popa, whose girlfriend, Keaolani Mento, was crowned Miss Leeward 2006 in January, and for Gloor, who was introduced to his 2-month-old nephew Dylan.

Mento wore an evening dress and crown to welcome Popa, who celebrated his 21st birthday Feb. 11.

Gloor returned home in time to attend his grandfather Terry Repoyo's 100th birthday party this Saturday.

"I want to party with family and get caught up," Gloor said.

Sinn, echoing the feelings of his team members, noted: "I missed everything: home, the people and the food. Afghanistan is the complete opposite of Hawai'i."

Egloria, a 41-year-old technical sergeant who supervised one of the two work shifts in Afghanistan, said the rice cooker, rice, Spam and lup cheong sent over by his wife, Sue, allowed his workers to eat like home for about a month. The entire team from Hawai'i worked well together, he added.

"We were real tight," Egloria said. "People from other units envied our team because we had no problems.

"Afghanistan is like going back to biblical times. The people live in mud huts and have hardly anything. Just the smiles of kids when you give them a bottle of water is special."

Ramaron-Schreiner, 22, would like his first experience with snow to be his last.

"I woke up one morning to go to work and it had snowed (overnight)," Ramaron-Schreiner said. "It snowed for two days. I never want to see snow again."

Those serving their first deployment overcame homesickness with the help of veteran teammates.

"For me, it lasted about three weeks," Popa said. "It helped being with guys from Hawai'i who are good friends.'

Kaiala added, "I missed my wife, Kaui, and family but I learned who I am inside by being able to cope with being away. Thoughts of family pushed me through but my other family, the guys I was with, were great. We'd tell each other that when we're going through this it feels long but after we're through, it'll feel like it was short."

The work shifts ranged from 13 to 16 hours, said Ramaron-Schreiner.

Kele, 23, described by teammates as the "class clown who kept everyone loose," said playing sand volleyball, 'ukulele and lifting weights helped pass the time. "We try to be friends with everybody, spread the aloha spirit," Kele said.

To a man, no one is going to miss the food in Afghanistan.

"I've had enough Uncle Ben's rice and mashed potatoes," Kele said. "I want rice, the sticky kind."

Egloria added, "All I want is something from Zippy's. Maybe, I'll eat three or four plate lunches."

Christi Lovan prepared a homecoming feast of kal-bi, limu poke and laulau for her son while Leosalangi's craving for taro, 'ulu (breadfruit) and palusami (a Samoan laulau-type dish) would be satisfied at home.

Beverly Morita, Kele's mother, thought proudly of her son's return from his third deployment.

"He's my only son and I get really scared every time he goes because I don't know exactly what he's doing (for security reasons)," Morita said. "He always says, 'Don't worry, mom.' I'm very proud of him, this has made him a better person."

When asked if three deployments are enough, Kele replied, "Without a doubt, I'll go again."

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.