41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team mobilizes three battalions for Afghanistan

Photo By Staff Sgt. Erin J. Quirke | Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers with D Co., 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, practice applying tourniquets during Combat Life Saver training at Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Ore., June 29. The Soldiers are preparing for deployment to Afghanistan this summer as part of the regular rotational cycle of forces in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (Photo by Sgt. Erin J. Quirke, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)  

SALEM, OR, UNITED STATES

07.02.2014

Story by Sgt. Erin J. Quirke 

41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team

SALEM, Ore. - Soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted pre-mobilization training exercises at the Orchard Combat Training Center, south of Boise, Idaho, and at Camp Rilea, in Warrenton, Ore., in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

The 41st IBCT is mobilizing nearly 900 Soldiers from three battalion elements: the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment; along with 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment; and the 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment.

The 41st units will be tasked with providing security and support for U.S. military facilities in Kabul and southwestern Afghanistan as part of the regular rotational cycle of forces in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“This deployment really highlights the legacy of the 41st,” said Sgt. 1st Class Matthew McCreery, a senior noncommissioned officer with 2-162 Inf. Bn. “I consider it an honor to be part of a battalion that has played a critical roll in multiple theaters.”

Soldiers from the 41st IBCT trained on things such as individual weapons qualifications, searching vehicles and personnel at entry control points, identifying and reacting to improvised explosive devices, first-aid, and egressing from overturned vehicles in the event of a rollover. The training is designed to help prepare Soldiers for any number of challenges they may face as they perform security missions while deployed in Afghanistan.

Although troops in Afghanistan are being drawn down, the Oregon National Guard Soldiers say they’ve always worked with the mentality of “we train like we fight,” and this deployment will be no exception.

“You always want to be more ready, but I know we’ll be successful,” said 1st Sgt. Brian Zacher, of Bravo Troop, 1-82 Cav. Sqdn. “Not the entire squadron was able to deploy with us, so we were able to select the cream of the crop for the team that is deploying.”

While this will be the first deployment for many young Soldiers of the 41st IBCT, unit leaders say that all the Soldiers are prepared to take on the mission and their confidence level soars high.

“All of us are volunteers and we’re definitely ready for this,” said 1st Lt. Paul Brown, of Bravo Troop, 1-82 Cav. Sqdn. “Everyone that is here right now fought to be on this deployment and they’re training hard.”

This isn’t the first time that the 41st IBCT has played a role in the global war on terrorism. The brigade deployed a large contingent known as Task Force Phoenix to Afghanistan in 2006 and again deployed the entire brigade to Iraq in 2009, among other individual unit deployments to the Middle East.

“Soldiers are anxious to be deployed while they still can,” said Zacher. “Confidence is high and they’ve been performing great.”

The units will complete deployment processing and more training at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas before heading to Afghanistan.

While thousands of American service members have played a role in Operation Enduring Freedom, now with the war winding down it will be up to the Soldiers of Oregon’s 41st Brigade to help turn out the lights and close the chapter on U.S. operations in Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 07.02.2014
• Date Posted: 07.08.2014 19:08
• Story ID: 135562
• Location: SALEM, OR, US