Courtesy Photo | Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery Regiment, 256th Infantry...... read more read more
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By Rhett Breerwood, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office and LANG Museums
NEW ORLEANS – This November, the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the Tiger Brigade, will mark 20 years since returning from its historic deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Among the brigade’s subordinate units was the 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery Regiment, the oldest and most historic military unit in Louisiana.
Originally formed in New Orleans in 1838 as the Washington Artillery, the 141st was designated Task Force Thunder during its deployment with the 256th in Iraq. The unit provided security for more than 90 percent of the Victory Base Complex as well as Baghdad International Airport. Its mechanized howitzers played a significant role in reducing attacks against Iraqi civilians and U.S. service members.
While the task force conducted extensive combat and security operations, Soldiers frequently recall its humanitarian work as one of the most meaningful parts of the deployment.
To support communities in war-torn Baghdad, Task Force Thunder launched the Kids for Kids program. The initiative collected school supplies and clothing from Louisiana children and distributed them to Iraqi children in the unit’s area of operations. The unit’s family readiness group and veterans’ association built a support network and website to gather and mail donations overseas.
“Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of Louisiana children, the Kids for Kids program collected more than 13,000 pounds of clothing and school supplies. These items were distributed during humanitarian missions to children in western Baghdad,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. John Basilica, who commanded the 256th from 1999 to 2006. “These highly successful missions increased the trust of the Iraqi people and were an important force-protection multiplier for our Soldiers.”
The program grew rapidly and was eventually expanded across the entire 256th IBCT, with donations arriving from 34 states. After the brigade redeployed in September 2005, other U.S. units in Iraq continued the effort. The initiative became one of Task Force Thunder’s most enduring legacies, demonstrating compassion during a critical period of conflict.
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2025 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 553196 |
| Location: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 6 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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