BAGRAM, Afghanistan - On Tuesday September 18th, Task Force Lightning officially relieved Task Force Ready of its mission in Afghanistan. Soldiers of the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Task Force Lightning) of Fort Bragg, N.C. replaced the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade (Task Force Ready) of Fort Hood, Texas.
Task Force Lightning soldiers assumed responsibility for providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance collection in support of Operation Resolute Support. The Resolute Support Mission is the Combined/Joint NATO headquarters for the train, advise and assist mission across Afghanistan that runs concurrently with Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Col. Deidra Trotter and Command Sgt. Major Thomas Baird, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade command team, officially transferred authority to the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade.
“The brigade was ready to deploy, fight and win no matter the location,” said Col. Daniel Benick, Task Force Lightning and 525th Military Intelligence Brigade commander.
The transition from Task Force Ready to Task Force Lightning was marked by the Transfer of Authority (TOA) ceremony, a long standing tradition among U.S. military units. The ceremony marked the official transfer. The transfer takes several days and ensures the transfer of authority among units is performed smoothly.
“We have trained hard, and I’m extremely proud of what this team has done to get ready,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jebin Heyse, senior enlisted advisor of the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade. “We are ready now and I am confident in their ability to take care of each other, get the job done and come home with honor and pride.”
The 504th and 525th MI Brigades are used to hand-offs with one another. For several years the two units rotated in and out with one another, providing key intelligence enablers to the theater from company and battalion level. It was the first time in 2017 that the 525th MI Brigade replaced the formerly all-individual augmentee task force headquarters and returns after 504th MI Brigade conducted the mission for the past 12 months.
After the TOA ceremony, soldiers of Task Force Lightning enjoyed refreshments and cake to celebrate. Then, they immediately went to work fulfilling intelligence requirements for the Afghanistan area of operation. The 525th Military Intelligence Brigade looks forward to a successful mission during its time in Afghanistan.
Operation Resolute Support is a NATO-led mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces and institutions. The mission was launched on January 1, 2015, immediately following the stand-down of the International Security Assistance Force.
| Date Taken: | 11.26.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.26.2018 11:56 |
| Story ID: | 301179 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 163 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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