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HUNTSVILLE -- Westran High School students returned Monday from Christmas Break. Also coming back to school, ag teacher Kyle Dignan. But his "break" was quite a bit longer.

"He really only had two-and-a-half, three months at his first job and its almost like starting his job all over again," says Westran H.S. Principal Mike Nagel.

And despite only being at Westran for a few months, Nagel says Mr. Dignan made quite an impression.

"He's eager. He's young. He's ambitious," says Nagel. "And that caught fire with a lot of our students and a lot of our staff members also. And he was really, really missed."

Mr. Dignan's particular mission in Afganistan, an agri-business mission, gave him the opportunity to bring real-life lessons and experiences back home to his ag students here at Westran.

Dignan and his fellow unit members taught local Afganis improved agriculture methods and techniques in hopes of making their crop more successful. Dignan says he plans to show his students how current farming in Afganistan is similar to farming in America at the turn of the century.

But Dignan hopes his students will take away more than farming lessons from his experience. He hopes they will have a greater appreciation of what it means to be an American.

"Just the freedoms that our kids over here have that we take for granted and advantage of everyday and don't even realize it," says Dignan.

For now, Dignan is still adjusting to life back in the U.S.

"New Year's Eve, fireworks went off," says Dignan. "I caught myself flashing back, going, 'what is that?' Explosions were not good where I came from."

And enjoying being home.