FORT HOOD, Texas – The 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion held a casing ceremony Jan. 22 at 9:30 a.m. on Sadowski Field here. Part of the 11th Signal Brigade, 57th ESB cased their colors in preparation for a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom later this month.
The 11th Signal Brigade headquarters, officially moved from Fort Huachuca, Ariz., to here in July 2013, and was reunited with two of their battalions already established here in the 57th and 62nd ESBs. With 62nd ESB already deployed since September 2013, 57th ESB’s upcoming deployment shows why this signal brigade is one of the busiest in the military.
The battalion is led by Lt. Col. Darlene Straub, battalion commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Maurice Greening, command sergeant major. The 57th ESB last deployed as a battalion in April 2009 to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
After casing the colors, Straub reflected on their last Culminating Training Exercise in October, and how the soldiers in the battalion used the training opportunity to improve for their upcoming missions overseas.
“The CTE was a tough, realistic field problem that mixed our tactical skill sets and our required technical skills,” said Straub. “These soldiers performed marvelously and continuously went above and beyond the standard set for them.”
Straub congratulated the soldiers for their hard work and continued training to hone their crafts, and acknowledged they were ready to deploy.
“As of today, we have finished our sprint to the starting line of this mission,” she said. “These soldiers are trained and prepared to go to war.”
Col. James C. Parks III, commander, 11th Signal Brigade, shared some words of praise and encouragement with the soldiers following the ceremony.
“The reason we are so busy is because no one does it better than us,” said Parks.
Before departing, Parks stressed the importance of the soldiers looking out for one another while overseas.
“The reason we fight is that person on your left and right,” said Parks. “Your job is to make sure they come back in one piece.