There was a warm welcome back on Wednesday for 500 New Jersey National Guard troops who were deployed to Washington, D.C. after the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt.

Gov. Phil Murphy and other state leaders welcomed the members home at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The troops went to Washington to secure the Capitol and ensure that President Joe Biden’s inauguration was peaceful.

“I was on active duty for five years. I never expected to do anything like this in my entire career in the military,” says Capt. Reilly Nuckle of Saddle River. “Unfortunately, the circumstances we had down there were not the best. But in terms of what we did, I would definitely say mission accomplished."

About 350 National Guard members remain in Washington. They are expected to stay there until at least the end of February.