Tigers earn the ‘Bug’

Courtesy Photo | Lt. Col. Eric S. Strong, commander of 1st Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment, awards SPC Jamal Graves of Bandit Troop, 1/3 CR the Combat Patch. SPC Graves is one of many Soldiers that took part in the ballot movement mission across the theatre supporting the Afghanistan Presidential elections. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Joseph Colon, 1st Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment S4)  

PAKTYA PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

08.01.2014

Courtesy Story

3d Cavalry Regiment Public Affairs Office

By 1st Lt. Lacy Hughlett from Jackson, Miss.
3rd Cavalry Regiment

FOB LIGHTNING, PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment “Tiger Squadron,” recently marked their right to wear the shoulder sleeve insignia- former wartime service, commonly known as the “combat patch,” with patch ceremonies on July 30 and Aug.4, 2014 . This ceremony awarded Combat Patches to both Roughrider Troop (July 30, 2014) and Bandit Troop (Aug. 1 2014) at FOB Lightning, Paktya province, Afghanistan.

Tiger Squadron has had boots on ground in Afghanistan for just over a month. 1st Squadron, 3d Cavalry Regiment was called upon to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom in order to train, advise, and assist the Afghan Border Police, Afghan Uniformed Police, Afghan National Civil Order Police, and support the 3d Cavalry Regiment’s mission to advise the 203rd Afghan “Thunder” Corps. The squadron has trained for this mission for over a year.

The Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Eric Strong, placed a patch on each Soldier’s right shoulder, indicating their wartime service. In reference to the importance of the combat patch, Strong told the troopers, “Nobody can take away your status as a veteran. This patch means people will expect more of you, but each and every one of you is capable of living up to those expectations.”

“The two-year train up fully prepared the soldiers in full spectrum operations” says Staff Sgt. John Nesse, Base Defense Operations Cell Non-Commissioned Officer in charge. “The deployment, and subsequently the combat patch, creates a brotherhood within the squadron. These are well-trained, lethal Soldiers excited to execute their mission next to their brothers and sisters in arms.”

The 3d Cavalry Regiment is currently responsible for Regional Command-East, South of Kabul, with Tiger Squadron commanding FOB Lightning in Paktya Province. Tiger Squadron alone is based in four separate locations from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Fort Hood, Texas, and Khost and Paktya Provinces of Afghanistan.

As part of a theater-wide mission to support the Afghanistan Presidential Election, Bandit Troop executed a ballot movement mission in both Paktya and Paktika provinces, moving over 1,500 boxes of election ballots cast for the run-off election to Kabul. Recognizing the historical significance of the event, SPC Jamal Graves of Bandit Troop noted “On this day, I defended democracy for the Afghan people.”

This patching ceremony commemorates months of hard work and sacrifices the soldiers of 1/3 Cavalry Regiment have put into this mission. They are motivated and dedicated to the mission, and also each other.

• Date Taken: 08.01.2014
• Date Posted: 08.09.2014 05:39
• Story ID: 138845
• Location: PAKTYA PROVINCE, AF
• Hometown: JACKSON, MS, US