Soldiers from Maine’s 133rd Engineer Battalion were expected to land at Fort Drum, N.Y. early Thursday morning, according to Maj. Pete Rogers, Maine Army National Guard spokesman.

The battalion’s flight from Kuwait reportedly was delayed Wednesday, but eventually got off the ground.

The unit, which is composed of more than 500 soldiers from all over the state and southern New Hampshire, will undergo a demobilization process at the New York base before returning home.

Demobilization includes medical and dental screening, filling out paperwork and cataloging equipment, and usually takes about seven days, Rogers said.

The spokesman said family members are being asked not to go to Fort Drum to try to see the soldiers, but should wait until the group comes to Maine. The battalion could return to Maine as soon as next week.

The soldiers have been in Iraq for about a year and completed 730 troop missions. Their job was to provide humanitarian relief to some Iraqi citizens and construct schools, health clinics and other facilities.