|
KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – What happens to a unit when they've
completed their mission? They get another one.
Recently, the
members of the 101st Airborne Division's historic Easy Company, 2nd
Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, received their new mission after
successfully completing everything that was asked of them while they
were operating in the Khost province of Afghanistan.
That new
mission is helping to facilitate Security Force Advise and Assist
Teams in Regional Command-East, north of Kabul, for the 4th Brigade
Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Task Force Patriot.
|
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Scott Kirkpatrick (left), commander, 2nd
Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st
Airborne Division, gathers the members of 1st Platoon, of the
storied Easy Company, 2nd Bn., to extend his gratitude to them for
their hard work while on deployment in Afghanistan at Forward
Operating Base Wright Dec. 18, 2013. Their mission will end at
Wright, assisting in force protection for 4th Brigade Combat Team,
10th Mountain Division, after having completed their missions in
Khost Province.
(U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Eric Provost, Task Force
Patriot PAO)
|
To accomplish this mission, Easy Company sent one platoon
to Forward Operating Base Gamberi, one to FOB Fenty, and one
to FOB Wright. Their last platoon went south of Kabul to
assist the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mtn. Div.
“This mission
has really gone well,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Scott
Kirkpatrick, commander, 2nd Bn. “Specifically from a
military intelligence, signal, and logistics perspective,
we've met all of the primary criteria.”
Easy Company will be helping 4th Bde. in
their efforts to turn the Afghan National Security Forces
into an efficient, fully self-sustaining fighting force, for
the remainder of their deployment.
“[The] 4th Bde.
has been very heavy on ANSF development throughout their
entire tour here. I think our ability to come up here and
just enhance that really [takes] it to the next level. They
already had the ball moving well in the right direction and
we're just helping push it a little bit harder,” said
Kirkpatrick.
At FOB Wright, 1st platoon says even
though they're separated from the rest of their unit,
finishing their mission won't be an issue.
“We've
spent the majority of our deployment on our own and my guys
have shown the maturity to be able to handle being away from
[the rest of the unit], working with other units and keeping
that pride and professionalism to be able to do that,” said
1st lt. James Kromhout, platoon leader, 1st platoon, Easy
Company.
The soldiers say that pride is a big part of
their organization, now famously known as the Band of
Brothers, and that it only serves to aid them in their
mission.
“That's a huge blessing, to have such a rich
history to pull from,” said Kromhout. “I think having a high
esprit de corps and a strong history behind you enables you
to train and teach that Soldier that it's not just about him
so that he understands he's part of something bigger and he
can reach back and touch that.”
While assisting the
SFAATs in RC-East, Easy Company is also preparing for the
next chapter in its illustrious story. When the unit returns
to the states it will be one of many reflagged and
repurposed to different units. Easy Company and it's
battalion will move from the 4th Brigade of the 101st, to
the 3rd Brigade, where they will continue their story.
By U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Provost
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
Comment on this article |
