Photo By Maj. Michelle Baldanza | Maj. Matthew Scalia, executive officer of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne...... read more read more
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Paratroopers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division (TF FURY) donned their maroon berets Aug. 16 at Kandahar Air Field in celebration of National Airborne Day.
“Even in combat, we pause to pay homage to the American Paratrooper,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Mark D. Sturdevant, the brigade command sergeant major. “It could not be more fitting then for us to recognize them here today, because it is here in combat that the daring spirit of the American Airborne Paratrooper was born.”
The well-known maroon berets worn only in airborne units were permitted during a brief ceremony hosted by Sturdevant. The ceremony was followed by refreshments including two cakes decorated with the unit crests of the 4th BCT and the 82nd ABN DIV.
President George W. Bush declared August 16, 2002 the first National Airborne Day. The day commemorates the first official Army parachute jump on August 16, 1940.
TF Fury deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009 and is serving throughout Regional Commands South and West. The brigade’s primary mission is to provide security force assistance to the Afghan National Security Forces by helping them build capacity so they can protect the population. The unit is completing their 12-month tour this month and will return to Ft. Bragg, N.C., throughout August and September.
“It is important for our Paratroopers to remember where they came from,” said Col. Brian M. Drinkwine, commander of the 4th BCT, 82nd ABN DIV. “Over the course of our deployment, our Paratroopers have completed a tough mission. Their dedication and hard work has been in the tradition of those that came before. Their predecessors would be proud of the strength of today’s Airborne Paratroopers.”
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2010 02:35 |
| Story ID: | 54691 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 666 |
| Downloads: | 8 |
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