CFB Petawawa -- CFB Petawawa's Afghan war finally came to a fitting end Friday in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve.

The sprawling base, west of Ottawa, welcomed home the last 50 of its fighting soldiers sent to the "sandbox" of Afghanistan in a combat role. Some 40 soldiers from the base have perished over the years while serving in Afghanistan, a war that has taken a total of 154 Canadian lives. About 150 personnel from the base remain at headquarters in Kandahar while soldiers from CFB Val Cartier carry on the combat operations passed to them by soldiers from CFB Petawawa.

The base at Petawawa is currently not preparing any personnel for future assignments to Afghanistan as Canada's role will move in 2011 from fighting the Taliban insurgency to training the Afghan National Army to do the fighting.

Col. Wayne Eyre, commander of 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at CFB Petawawa, said he was pleased the military managed to return all of his 1,800 strong force from Afghanistan in time for Christmas.

"This is great. It's a great Christmas present for many families," said Col. Eyre. But he was quick to point out there are still 150 of his soldiers serving in Kandahar.

He said it was important that "our thoughts and prayers" are with them as they are away from their families and still in "harms way" over the holidays.

Families waited on the base well into the early hours of Friday morning at building Y101 for a bus to return their loved ones safely home after a seven-month tour of duty.

As families fretted that their soldier would miss Christmas because bad weather had caused havoc at airports overseas, soldiers were confident the military would get them home for the holidays. As with all returnees from the Afghan war, there was a stopover in Cyprus for a mandatory three- to five-day transition stay on the Mediterranean island.

Lucy Martin jokingly said her soldier husband John purposely delayed the flight home so he would arrive on her birthday, Dec. 24.

"This is the best birthday gift ever," she said, as the two found a quiet place at the homecoming to reconnect.

"And he's all in one piece," she said.

Maryanne Bertrand was waiting for her boyfriend and the seven-month wait had become almost unbearable.

"I'm shaking, I'm so excited to see him so it's the perfect Christmas gift," said Bertrand.

"He's just down the street and I'll be seeing him any minute now," she said. Most people waiting on the base were receiving minute-by-minute location updates via e-mail on their phones from their soldiers on the bus.

Amy Christensen has waited for her husband Jason to return from several tours of duty and remained "very thankful" as he returned home safely on Christmas Eve. She said weather disruptions to overseas flights caused her to be vague when telling her children exactly when their father was coming home.

"They will wake up tomorrow and he will be there and they will be surprised," said Christensen. Her husband, Jason, said he had no doubts the military would get the soldiers home for Christmas.

"I knew they would get us home for Christmas," said Christensen. "The pilots landed in Cyprus, filled up, stayed for about an hour, we got on the plane and he was right back away again," said Christensen.

He said coming home on Christmas Eve is a whirlwind of events.

"It's just good to be home. Open up presents with the kids tomorrow. There's no breaks. I'm pretty happy. It's all I can say sir," said Christensen.

Veronica Sullivan has waited for her husband Paul Sullivan three times to come home from overseas duty, but it's the first time as a married couple and the first time with a 17-month-old baby at home.

"I'm just glad they didn't miss Christmas. The army got them home before Christmas so that's all you can be grateful for," said Sullivan.

Her husband John left a 10-month-old baby to serve in Afghanistan.

"I've missed a lot," he said.

Anne Marie Keeble waited for her husband Stephen Keeble as he returned from his seven-month tour in Afghanistan, however she was in Afghanistan most of that time. She signed on a civilian fitness instructor keeping Canadian military personnel in shape so she managed to spend 24 days with her husband during a leave while overseas.

He said that he usually doesn't get too caught up in the Christmas holidays, but said it means "a lot more to me this time."