More than 200 soldiers were cheered by hundreds of well-wishers in St Neots as they exercised their Freedom of the Cambridgeshire town for the first time.
The soldiers were accompanied by the Band of The Queen's Division.
The parade halted in the Market Square where it was inspected by the Mayor of St Neots James Corley.
Also inspecting the parade was Aileen Guy, mother of the late Cpl Alex Guy who was killed in Afghanistan in June 2012.
The event was the first of a series of homecoming parades for the unit, nicknamed the Vikings, which will be marching through Norwich on Wednesday and Harlow on Thursday.
Major James Ridgway said: "As a regiment, we are very proud of the communities we recruit our soldiers from and work hard to maintain strong links with them. I'm humbled to see so many people come out to show their support."
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment have been welcomed home from operations in Afghanistan .