185th Aviation Brigade transitions back to reserve status

Photo By Sgt. Maj. Bill Valentine | Spc. Wilbert Burke, a supply clerk with the 185th Aviation Brigade, inventories equipment in a container at the Raymond Road Readiness Center May 14. The brigade returned from a deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Inherent Resolve this spring. (Mississippi National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class William Valentine, 102nd Public Affairs Detachment)  

JACKSON, MS, UNITED STATES

05.14.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Scott Tynes 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

JACKSON – Soldiers of the 185th Aviation Brigade returned to normal operations at their home base here May 14 after a Southwest Asia deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
“We are currently trying to get all of our equipment back,” said Master Sgt. Steven Davis, the brigade’s senior supply sergeant. “Some of our equipment has returned from our (mobilization) station, which was Ft. Hood, Texas. We’re currently staging inventory, cleaning and putting back this equipment. Some of the equipment is still en route.”
The unit returned in small elements, with most arriving at Ft. Hood in late December, then was in a short non-drill status.
While deployed to Kuwait, the 185th assumed command of all Army aviation assets within U.S. Army Central Command’s area of responsibility, which included subordinate commands from both active Army and National Guard elements from across the United States.
Units subordinate to the 185th included the 137th Aviation Regiment of the Ohio Army National Guard, the 351st Aviation Support Battalion of the South Carolina Army National Guard, and the 1-501st Attack Reconnaissance Squadron, an active Army component based at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Like the brigade, each battalion also had elements from a number of different states.
“Part of the challenge (of the deployment) was dealing with different states and different locations; and also once we got on ground overseas we had various Soldiers scattered throughout the area we operated in, which was in different countries,” Davis said.
Their mission was to support aviation operations throughout the Middle East while organizing and conducting training missions with partner countries and other U.S. services.
“Most everyone adapted well (to the transition to active service) and performed well,” Davis said. “It was just getting into the routine of doing it every day.”
With the mission complete, the Soldiers of the 185th are now transitioning back into Citizen Soldiers and trying to reclaim civilian lives placed on hold for many months.
“Everybody has been really excited about returning back to home station,” Davis said. “Of course, it presents different challenges and a lot of hurdles and obstacles you have to overcome. Overall, everybody has done well and are getting back to a state of what we might call normal.”

• Date Taken: 05.14.2016
• Date Posted: 05.15.2016 19:35
• Story ID: 198155
• Location: JACKSON, MS, US
• Hometown: JACKSON, MS, US