Photo By Spc. Amy Carle | Leadership from the 40th Infantry Division salute an airplane carrying nearly 100...... read more read more
Family and friends gathered together at the Joint Forces Training Base-Los Alamitos airfield on Sept. 18 for an emotional send-off for nearly 100 California National Guard Soldiers from the 40th Infantry Division.
The Guardsmen were flying to Fort Hood, Texas, for the first phase of a yearlong tour as a training and advisory element in Southern Afghanistan. While members of the 40th ID have been active in Iraq and Afghanistan, Division Headquarters 1st Sgt. Alfredo R. Juarez said this deployment is a historic mission for them.
“It’s the first time in in 60 years we’ll be going over there into a combat zone as a division headquarters,” Juarez said. “It’s definitely an opportunity for me and the Soldiers to demonstrate our skills and competencies.”
The Soldiers had also been recognized with a ceremony the previous day, which was attended by around 150 friends and family and included a performance by the 40th ID Band.
This deployment is the first of two turns for the division staff, who will be taking over operations from the Texas National Guard to support the mission in Afghanistan through 2019.
The Soldiers, many of whom came from different sections and hadn’t previously worked together, have spent the past months completing pre-mobilization readiness and training as a unit. The training was highly effective at building cohesion, Juarez said.
“I look forward to going on this mission with them,” he said. “I wouldn’t want any other Soldiers than the ones I have right now.”
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2017 18:12 |
| Story ID: | 248900 |
| Location: | LOS ALAMITOS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cal Guard Soldiers Depart for Afghanistan Deployment, by SPC Amy Carle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT