Photo By Staff Sgt. James Avery | Capt. Andrew Thomas, 93rd Military Police Battalion supply officer in charge, holds...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - It’s a quiet moment at Mitchell W. Stout gym as families line the bleachers waiting for the doors to open and reveal Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 93rd Military Police Battalion, who have just returned here from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, June 27, 2014.
As the Soldiers march into the gym in two rows, a roar began to echo in the gym as family members began to cheer and clap as the first boots of the Soldiers came into view. By the time the stoic faces of the HHD could be seen without hindrance, family members were drowning out 93rd MP Battalion commander Lt. Col. Richard Ball’s order of “dismissed” to his Soldiers, releasing them to their families.
Ball said the mission to Guantanamo Bay was part of a joint task force called Task Force Platinum, and later, simply called 93rd MP Battalion, and was made up of active duty, Reserve component, and National Guard units.
“We were the right choice for this mission set,” said Ball. “It was a mix of security operations and detainee operations. It was right up our alley as a combat support MP BN.”
Sgt. Maj. Randy Cheadle, 93rd MP Battalion senior enlisted operations noncommissioned officer in charge, said that not only was the mission an important one, but also never-ending for the Soldiers of the U.S. Army stationed at Guantanamo Bay.
“Our Soldiers are still in the fight, guarding detainees in Guantanamo Bay,” said Cheadle, “but the Soldiers in HHD worked around the clock to support the forward units there, providing administrative, logistical and operational support.”
Ball said that the mission in Guantanamo Bay was both time consuming, as well as rewarding in that his Soldiers gained a new outlook on what it means to be an MP.
“The Soldiers who served at Guantanamo Bay came away with a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a military police officer, and what it means to be serving their country in a very special strategic mission set.”
Ball, who will leave the 93rd MP Battalion later this year for a new posting at the Pentagon, said that many of his Soldiers had never deployed before, but they all learned lessons they can take with them into the future.
“Fort Bliss is going to benefit from some well-trained Soldiers and better trained officers, who can go off to other units and share what they’ve learned.”
Following the formation, HHD’s family and friends came down from the bleachers, hugging and greeting each other for the first time in months. Some wiped tears from their eyes, while others smiled and congratulated the Soldiers.
Cheadle said the Soldiers made an impact with their deployment to Guantanamo Bay.
“Our mission in Guantanamo Bay didn’t so much impact Fort Bliss so much as Fort Bliss impacted Guantanamo Bay.”
| Date Taken: | 06.29.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2014 19:46 |
| Story ID: | 137780 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 409 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Journey’s End: HHD, 93rd MP BN comes home from Cuba, by SSG James Avery, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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