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An afternoon conference of El Paso representatives and Fort Bliss military leaders seemed more like a gathering of friends than an official meeting to highlight the 1st Armored Division’s footprint throughout the year, and the way forward.
Leaders exchanged handshakes and welcoming nods upon entering the State of the Military event at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center June 11.
Hosted by the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the event gave business leaders an insight to the division’s military mission and how the local region balances that mission through Soldier and family support.
Keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Patrick E. Matlock, the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss commanding general, reflected on the strength of each ‘Iron Soldier’ and their supporting units.
“All of the units on Fort Bliss have simply had a terrific year, and the brigades have been on the march. These Iron Soldiers have shown true readiness,” Matlock said.
“In the 1st Armored Division our 1st Brigade began the year with a series of tough field training exercises leading to an outstanding month-long combat training center rotation. Our 2nd Brigade has spent the last several months conducting field training and live fire exercises. Currently, more than 5,000 Soldiers are conducting maneuvers in the Fort Bliss training area,” he said.
Matlock also highlighted 3rd Brigade, the 32nd Army Air and Missile Command, Joint Task Force North, Joint Modernization Command and all support elements as being an essential part of each mission’s success.”
In his remarks, Matlock emphasized that Fort Bliss continues to be the centerpiece for U.S. Army and National Guard training and readiness. Nearly 80,000 Soldiers from the past year have prepared for deployment from Fort Bliss or returned from deployment through Fort Bliss.
The Way Ahead
“This year thousands of Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers will mobilize, train and deploy at Fort Bliss,” said Matlock. “This brigade will go to the National Training Center rotation and then deploy to the Middle East later this year.”
Preservation and improvement were some of the key points on the radar for improving Fort Bliss. Matlock said three components that will make these advancements s possible include focusing on training areas, deployment facilities and community support.
“All of the communities in the El Paso area have been terrific partners. We are grateful for the support you give our children and their schools. You ensure that our spouses have fair access to employment,” he said. “Employment opportunities for veterans have also increased; regardless of how long they have served.”
In closing, Matlock recognized the community and thanked families for serving as the cornerstone of military service. He stressed that Fort Bliss continues to make advancements both locally and around the world.
“The state of the military is strong and the state of the relationship with Fort Bliss and the greater El Paso community is better than it has ever been,” Matlock said.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2019 20:07 |
| Story ID: | 327646 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Joint Forces: Conference connects leaders from El Paso and Fort Bliss, by Stephanie Santos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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