Photo By Staff Sgt. Jason Thompson | Lt. Col. Dale Buckner (right) and Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Parker, the command team...... read more read more
By Sgt. Jason Thompson
Multi-National Division - Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Another chapter has come to a close in the brief, but storied, history as the 4-year-old Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, completes its second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
This chapter began in November 2007 when the command team of DSTB cased its colors and its Soldiers packed their bags for a return deployment to Baghdad only 12 months after returning in November 2006.
During OIF 07-09 the DSTB, serving as the lead element of Multi-National Division – Baghdad, was responsible for a myriad of missions, foremost of which was completing its normal responsibilities in supporting Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, commanding general, 4th Inf. Div. and MND-B, and his staff along with many other additional duties obtained once DSTB arrived in theater.
While stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, the DSTB is home to approximately 970 Soldiers; once forward deployed however, the number of personnel assigned to the battalion grows to more than 2,200 Soldiers strong.
Above and beyond the battalion's normal mission of aiding and supporting the Soldiers assigned to the 4th Inf. Div. headquarters staff, the DSTB took on numerous new missions that were otherwise handled by different units, to include the Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar sensor and warn mission, the Division Holding Area, Military Transitions Teams, National Policy Transition Teams, Rear Operations Center, field artillery and fielding a first of its kind fully portable tactical command center.
"This battalion accomplished a lot of things throughout the deployment," said Lt. Col. Dale Buckner, a Rochester, N.Y., native, and commander, DSTB, 4th Inf. Div. "From personal security to personnel paperwork, we accomplished everything at this level greater than or equal to many brigade-sized units."
Through the 15 months in theater, Buckner said the DSTB celebrated many proud accomplishments, to include earning recognition as best in theater for the Division Holding Area and its battle squads successfully escorted the highest levels of U.S., Iraqi and international officials without any incidents. The band provided entertainment and assisted with ceremonies throughout MND-B, and the battalion staff provided immense logistical support for all attached units without any substantial setbacks.
Another innovative achievement from the DSTB Soldiers was the fielding of an all new Tactical Advance Center – Lite. The TAC-Lite is a fully customized, portable command information center – roughly the size of two connex units – which may be disassembled, transported and reassembled in less than 48 hours, thus enabling the division commander to have all the capabilities of the division Command Information Center at hand wherever the battle may take him.
Buckner said he believes a lot of the battalion's success has not come from his influence but more from the influence of the squad-level leaders.
"It has always been my philosophy that in order to effectively run a unit as complex as the DSTB, you need to have faith to pass responsibility down to the subject matter experts," said Buckner. "The platoon sergeants and squad leaders are placed in the positions they are in because they have an understanding of the operational environment that fits with their mission.
"We have such a diverse range of occupational specialties and unit functionalities that I cannot create a blanket policy or mission statement that would apply to all units equally. I have to rely on the company commanders and first sergeants and lower to integrate my guidance how they fit best within the different units to ensure the mission was completed successfully. We really excelled through the entire deployment because of this."
Command Sgt. Maj. Edward Parker, a Warsaw, N.C., native, agreed with Buckner's leadership influence.
"As the DSTB's command sergeant major, I don't have the time nor the expertise available to go around to all the different units and staff sections and micro-manage how they did their job," said Parker, who served as DSTB's senior enlisted leader through both deployments to Iraq. "I don't know how to do all the different jobs we have here. I need to depend on my first sergeants to execute their missions – and they have all done a magnificent job."
The 4th Inf. Div. DSTB will transfer command to the 1st Cavalry Division DSTB on Feb. 10 in alignment with the transfer of authority of MND-B between 4th Inf. Div. and 1st Cav. Div.
"This has been a long deployment for all our Soldiers," said Buckner. "I know I can speak on behalf of all our Soldiers when I say we are ready to go home and spend some quality time with our families and friends.
"Although these Soldiers have reached the end of this time away from home," he continued, "I am proud that not a single Soldier in this formation allowed the emotion of returning home interrupt their mission. Every Soldier held their focus in the game all the way down to the final buzzer, now it's time to return home and rejoice."
Upon redeployment, the 4th Inf. Div. DSTB will begin its move as it will relocate to Fort Carson, Colo., later this summer along with the division headquarters.
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2009 16:24 |
| Story ID: | 29776 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 661 |
| Downloads: | 165 |
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