Photo By Lindsey Kibler | (Left to right) Spc. Ashlee Smith, a Ulysses, Pa., native and human resource...... read more read more
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TACOMA, Wash. - More than 1,000 soldiers, family and friends of the 7th Infantry Division gathered at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, Oct. 4, to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the reactivation of the division and highlight its vast accomplishments throughout the year.
“Tonight we celebrate the accomplishments of this great team,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza, 7th Infantry Division commanding general. “I cannot be more proud of this team - the Bayonet Division, our seven tremendous brigades, our command teams that make up this division. To the soldiers and their families, not only for all you do but for the sacrifices you make and what you mean to our nation.
“You make a difference every day and what you do matters.”
On Oct. 1, 2012, by order of the Secretary of the Army John McHugh, the division was officially reactivated. On Oct. 10, 2012, Lanza and Command Sgt. Maj. Delbert Byers stood on the Watkins Parade Field and assumed command of five brigades, totaling more than 18,000 soldiers.
Those brigades were the 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team; 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team; 4-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team; the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade; and the 17th Fires Brigade.
A few months into his command, the division added an additional two brigades: the 555th Engineer Brigade and the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
Today, the division now stands at nearly 23,000 soldiers.
Shortly after the division’s reactivation, Lanza began referring it as the “Team of Teams.”
“We all wear different patches, but we are on the same team,” Lanza explained.
Over the past year, Lanza said he and Byers had the honor of welcoming home many of the brigades, who were deployed at the time of reactivation or who subsequently deployed and redeployed since.
On the night of the ball, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 555th Engineer Brigade, as well as soldiers from the brigade’s 864th Engineer Battalion, touched down on a McChord Field tarmac following a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan.
“Job well done to you all,” commended Lanza.
However, the division could not be as strong as it is today without the unwavering support of its surrounding communities, Lanza said.
“Thank you to the communities for your support. We are proud to be part of it and the team of teams on Joint Base Lewis-McChord,” he added.
Congressman Denny Heck, of Washington state’s 10th District, was the evening’s guest speaker.
“Congressman Heck has been a friend of Joint Base Lewis-McChord and supporter of military and families since we had the pleasure of meeting. His first stop after being inducted [into office], was Joint Base Lewis-McChord,” Lanza explained. “Every day he fights for the needs of our soldiers, our families and our veterans, and he’s played an integral role in making our community the best in the Army.”
Heck was welcomed with a round of applause, as he stepped to the podium and wished the division a “happy birthday.” Heck praised the brigades and his communities for their continued partnerships, which, Heck said, have flourished over the past years. The division’s brigades are partnered with the following communities: Tacoma, Lakewood, University Place, Puyallup, Lacey, Gig Harbor, Roy, Tumwater and Olympia.
“I love the motto of the 7th ID: ‘trust in me.’ I do. You have earned that trust,” Heck said. “You earned it when you put on that uniform. You earned it when you trained to your highest capability. You earned it when those of you deployed, and multiple times in many cases. You earned it when you stood up for America.
“I thank you for that, and I thank you on behalf of the 672,455 people in this Congressional district.”
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.25.2013 18:54 |
| Story ID: | 115762 |
| Location: | TACOMA, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 286 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers, families celebrate accomplishments of Bayonet team on division’s anniversary, by Lindsey Kibler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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