Army officials say 85 Georgia-based soldiers are coming home from Afghanistan ahead of schedule.

The soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment based at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah were scheduled to return Tuesday after being deployed overseas for six months.

The troops were expecting a nine-month tour when they left in December. But the Army has scaled back U.S. forces in Afghanistan as that country's local security forces take over a heavier share of military responsibilities.

The returning soldiers are assigned to crews that fly Apache attack helicopters for the 3rd Aviation Brigade of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division based at nearby Fort Stewart. Many of the division's troops remain deployed in Afghanistan.

Tags: Army, Afghanistan, deployment, Georgia soldiers, Hunter Army Airfield, 3rd aviation regiment