U.S. Army Private First Class Justin Taylor of Bamberg said it feels good to be back on American soil after serving a year in Iraq.

Taylor said conditions in the war-torn country are steadily improving.

"I could see them running their own country now with a little more help," he says.

Taylor has some plans now that he is at home.

"I got a month left for hunting season. I'm going to hunt a lot," he said.

Taylor, 20, has been stationed temporarily at Fort Drumm in New York.

In Iraq, Taylor and his unit, the 10th Mountain Combat Aviation Brigade, were responsible for personnel recovery. That entailed missions like pulling pilots out of helicopters that were shot down.

Once his unit got a call, he said they would be in the air in less than 15 minutes.

"Its been crazy. We were called out a bunch of times. One day, we got called out six times," he said. "We did some pretty cool stuff."

It was so cool that Taylor said he plans to return there in a year and a half for a second tour.

According to Taylor, the onslaught of violence that plagued the nation a few years ago has substantially faded.

He says the Iraqi people have been friendly for the most part,

Taylor recalled meeting a lieutenant from the Iraqi army in the city of Mosul. He gave roses, a sign of respect for Iraqis, to American soldiers, including Taylor. Taylor gave the lieutenant a patch off his uniform to return the favor.

"They were pretty nice," he said.

Taylor said U.S. officials are now training the Iraqi soldiers to do missions.

During his deployment, he said he went all over northern Iraq, including Baghdad, and spent time in Syria and Turkey. He said it was hard not being able to see his family, although he did get to speak with them over the phone.

His father, Robert, said its pretty nice to have both his boys back home. Justin's older brother, Kyle of Raleigh, N.C., just finished his tour in Iraq also. His stepfather, Chuck Wake of Maryland, just returned from a stint in Afghanistan.

"I'm proud of both of them and all the boys that go over there and serve," Robert Taylor said.

Justin Taylor plans to work as an independently contracted firefighter in Iraq after he leaves the Army in 2014.

But right now, he says it's good to just be back here.

"It feels good. It feels real good," Taylor said.

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