Photo By Spc. Elijah Morlett | Capt. Randall Wright, commander of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 158th Field Artillery,...... read more read more
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MUSTANG, Okla. - The last Oklahoma Army National Guard combat unit deployed to Afghanistan returned to the Sooner State on Friday to a hero’s welcome.
Some 65 Soldiers from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 158th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Field Artillery Brigade arrived in the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Mustang, Oklahoma, to a building filled with jubilant family and friends ready to take them home.
The unit, which also included Soldiers from the 171st Target Acquisition Battery (TAB) and the 120th Forward Support Company (FSC), began their mobilization in April 2014, after replacing a sister unit, Battery A of the 1st Battalion, 158th Field Artillery. The troops began their journey home during the holiday season, not long after combat operations officially ceased in Afghanistan, but had to spend a few days at Fort Bliss, Texas, completing administrative requirements.
The battery’s commander, Cpt. Randall Wright of Lawton, Oklahoma, said that he – like many of his Soldiers – were glad to finally be back with family.
“I’m really happy to be home,” Wright said. “I missed a lot of important events. Birthdays, anniversaries ... I’m just happy to be back so we can catch up.”
While deployed in Afghanistan, the unit provided indirect (artillery) fire support to coalition forces using the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). It also provided force protection for coalition units and manned entry control points.
“One thing about what I saw demonstrated a lot of flexibility and adaptability,” Wright said. “We are an artillery unit and we went over there to do our primary artillery mission, but as things were drawing down, we ended up doing other things.”
During the deployment, the Soldiers transitioned to Kabul, Afghanistan, to provide base defense operations for the U.S. Air Force Advisors responsible for training and developing a professional, capable and sustainable Afghan Air Force.
The unit will take time off to reunite with their families until they reconvene in February for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon curriculum is designed to help Soldiers and their families during their reintegration back to civilian life.
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2015 17:45 |
| Story ID: | 151645 |
| Location: | MUSTANG, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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