BAUMHOLDER, Germany – As soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted a farewell ceremony at the Hall of Champions here, Nov. 2, they marked the beginning of their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Daniel F. Kelley, the 3-4 Infantry Battalion commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Maurice Jackson, the battalion command sergeant major, performed a casing of the battalion colors, which symbolized the unit’s transition from garrison to deployment operations.
The roughly 800 soldiers comprised the first battalion sized element from the 170th IBCT to deploy to a combat zone since WWI.
“Our mission is to train the Afghanistan National Security Forces to include basic training, officer courses and other combat arms skills,” said Maj. Alex Duran, the 3-4 Infantry Battalion operations officer. “That mission is connected to the overall military strategy in Afghanistan because once we train them they will be capable of providing their own security, allowing us to begin withdrawal.”
Soldiers began training for deployment in January and focused on becoming an efficient fighting force. Once the soldiers and leaders became proficient at their jobs, they learned how to teach the ANSF, said Duran.
“We had some officers come here from Fort Polk, La., to teach our officers and non-commissioned officers some lessons learned from Afghanistan,” said Duran. “Also, officers and non-commissioned officers from the unit we are replacing came here to tell us what they have learned.”
Attached to the battalion is a battery of field artillerymen who trained in infantry tactics in preparation for the deployment.
“3-4 really helped us out,” said Pvt. Jonathan Crozier, a field artilleryman from B Battery, 1st Battalion, 84th Infantry Regiment. “They helped us with our shooting and training, from the big guns going down to the small guns.”
The remainder of the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in early 2011.
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.24.2010 09:04 |
| Story ID: | 60801 |
| Location: | BAUMHOLDER, DE |
| Web Views: | 870 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 3-4 Infantry bids farewell to Baumholder, by SFC Christopher Klutts, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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