Photo By Sgt. Kenneth Bince | Immediately following the casing of the 93rd Military Police Battalions colors, Lt....... read more read more
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — Under a mid-day sun, Soldiers from the 93rd Military Police Battalion furled and cased their battalion's colors Jan. 4, during a ceremony here.
The Fort Bliss, Texas based MP Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment ended its year-long deployment in Baghdad, which included missions of Police Transition Training and operational command of Security Forces in the International Zone.
Lt. Col Thomas H. Byrd, 93rd MP Battalion Commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Dawn J. Ripplemeyer, 93rd Command Sergeant Major, executed the time-honored military tradition of furling and casing of the battalion's colors before a formation of Headquarters Detachment Soldiers and VIPs.
In addition, the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment guidon was furled and cased by Capt. Daniel Gonzales, 93rd Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment Commander and Sgt. 1st Class Guillermo Fonseca, 93rd First Sergeant.
The War Eagle War Banner, which flew over the 93rd's headquarters, was also lowered and ceremoniously folded by a three-soldier detail.
Upon completion of the ceremony Byrd told the formation of his Soldiers," I am proud of the officers, Soldiers and noncommisioned officers here for taking ownership of the missions, and I am extremely proud of our accomplishments."
He continued," The (93rd) really worked hard to raise the Iraqi police to the next level, and I know that the battalion achieved this task."
Once the 93rd's formation was dismissed, a Soldier commented about his deployment experience. "I could see that the Iraqi Police have improved a great deal. When we first started the PPT mission the IP stations that we stood up needed a lot of work. By the time that we left the stations the IPs were holding their own formations, conducting their own patrols, and they were well supplied with needed equipment," said Cpl. Rellion Clark, an MP in the 93rd PPT team and a resident of Point Pleasant,Va.
"I am extremely excited, especially for the younger Soldier in the unit to get back home," said Ripplemeyer. "We ask them to make sacrifices in their lives and to put their lives on hold. It will be great to see the Soldiers reunited with their families and friends."
"I can't wait to see Ellana, my 1-year-old daughter, now she's walking and talking," said Sgt. Brent Skeete, a 93rd paralegal. "I just want to catch up with what I missed while I was away."
The ceremony was also attended by Brig. Gen. Donald Currier, 49th MP Brigade commander, and Col. John "Mack" Huey, 89th MP Brigade Commander from Fort Hood Texas. Huey is the battalion's Brigade Commander while the unit is home at Fort Bliss.
The 93rd is scheduled to redeploy in the upcoming weeks, and to participate in a welcome home ceremony upon deplaning at Fort Bliss.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2010 21:20 |
| Story ID: | 43537 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 2,103 |
| Downloads: | 711 |
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