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    Colo. National Guard field artillery Soldiers return from combat

    air-mobile operation

    Photo By Sgt. Bethany Fehringer | The 3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery conducts the unit’s first-of-its-kind,...... read more read more

    CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, UNITED STATES

    11.07.2017

    Story by Staff Sgt. Joseph VonNida 

    Colorado National Guard

    FOR RELEASE:
    Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017

    CONTACT: Air National Guard Maj. Darin Overstreet, 720-250-1053

    Colo. National Guard field artillery Soldiers return from combat
    By Colorado National Guard Public Affairs

    CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Nearly 30 Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard’s Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery Regiment, known as Task Force Apache, will return home Nov. 8 from combat operations in the Middle East.

    Family members, friends, and Colorado National Guard senior leaders will greet the Soldiers at a ceremony to be held at 10 a.m. at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, CO, 80011.

    Battery A, 3/157 FA deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

    The unit members launched hundreds of precision rockets and missiles, while operating at the highest rate of any High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System unit since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. They engaged numerous enemy targets with devastating, guided HIMARS munitions. This support significantly impacted the ongoing war and the efforts of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

    “These Soldiers led decisive and effective artillery operations on enemy targets,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joel Schiager, commander of Battery A. “These Colorado Guard members conducted high-paced fire support operations, and they exceeded all expectations. Their efforts made a huge contribution in the battle against U.S. and Afghan enemies while forming strong relationships with allied forces.”

    “The Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers in this unit integrated with the Army and significantly contributed to the warfight,” said The Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh. “They could not have accomplished this mission without family and employer support.”

    The unit is based out of Longmont but the Soldiers live and work in communities across Colorado.

    Battery A, 3/157 Field Artillery’s previous deployments Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn during 2009-10. Following the 2001 attack on America, the battery deployed to Denver International Airport in support of Operation Noble Eagle. In 2005 the battery deployed to Louisiana for relief efforts after the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, and, in 2012, they participated in a domestic operation to help Colorado citizens affected by the High Park Fire near Fort Collins. During the historic 2013 floods in Colorado, the battery provided relief efforts in Lyons.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.07.2017
    Date Posted: 11.07.2017 14:19
    Story ID: 254463
    Location: CENTENNIAL, COLORADO, US

    Web Views: 1,115
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN