Photo By Sgt. Adam L. Mathis | Lt. Gen. Mike Scaparrotti kisses his wife after dismissing the last group of I Corps...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – “I’m proud of every one of them and with that, I Corps, dismissed!”
With those words from the I Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Mike Scaparrotti, a cheer went up from the soldiers who had just landed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, June 13. Those words brought I Corps’ one-year deployment in Afghanistan to an end.
“It’s great to be home, glad to be back around my family, but a part of me wishes I was still … over there because it was the most fulfilling year of my life,” said I Corps’ Command Sgt. Maj. John Troxell.
It was fulfilling for Troxell because of the amount of progress made in Afghanistan while I Corps served as the core staff for the International Security Assistance Force’s command group from 2011 to 2012. When they arrived, U.S. or coalition forces led in 90 percent of the fighting. However, by the time I Corps left, U.S. soldiers were able to take on a greater supporting role while Afghan security personnel took the lead in combat.
“Just seeing that transformation has told me that we are getting this thing in the right direction,” said Troxell.
Progress was made in part due to the efforts of other units from JBLM while I Corps was in Afghanistan. Scaparrotti said the work of some of the infantry brigades had improved the security situation in the southern region and those improvements have made progress toward helping Afghanistan reach their goals.
“What we’re doing in Afghanistan is not without a cost, but I would tell the American people that we’re making progress, that this fight is one of strategic importance,” said Scaparrotti. “It’s important not only to that region, but more importantly, it’s vital to us in terms of ending this extremist insurgency that means to impact on our way of life and the values that we cherish and we’re making a difference.”
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.15.2012 12:55 |
| Story ID: | 90065 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 402 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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