Active Unit News

Article from Killeen Daily Herald on March 28th

4th Infantry begins overseas move
By Kevin J. Dwyer Killeen Daily Herald
FORT HOOD — One by one Thursday morning, the colors of the Task Force Ironhorse were cased by their commanders as the units prepared to deploy overseas in the coming weeks.
“The Ironhorse has been summoned, and we will answer that calling,” said Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, 4th Infantry Division commander. “It is not a calling we answer for money, easy work or glory. “But rather it’s a calling from deep within our hearts to protect you, our families and each other. It is the calling for the love of a country, defending our way of life for the next generation of Americans.” Starting with the right of the formation with the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, and ending with the colors of the 4th ID, all of the unit colors in the task force were rolled and cased. When the units reach their destination in Southwest Asia, the colors will be unfurled. Odierno, the commanding general of TF Ironhorse, said the massed colors on the 4th Infantry Division’s parade field represent the more than 30,000 soldiers of the task force. At the core of TF Ironhorse are the 12,500 4th ID soldiers from Fort Hood. The coming deployment will be the 4th ID’s first combat deployment since the division served in Vietnam. According to a III Corps official, about 500 soldiers deployed from the post Thursday as part of the advance party of the task force. The remainder of the division is expected to begin deploying from the post beginning this weekend. “Each and every soldier has voluntarily raised his right hand and took and oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Odierno said. “I admire them for their bravery and courage and I am humbled to serve in their ranks.” Attending the ceremony were Gov. Rick Perry, and Gen. Larry Ellis, commanding general of U.S. Forces Command. Each of the deploying units was represented on Cameron Field, and surrounding the parade field — standing shoulder-to-shoulder — were the rest of the division’s soldiers. And beside the TF Ironhorse soldiers were their families. Many of these soldiers said that after the two-month delay the division has suffered through, they are not only ready, but eager to deploy. “It’s scary, but it’s something I’ve got to do,” said Pfc. Anna Leritte of the 404th Division Aviation Support Battalion. “I joined to be a mechanic, but I’m a soldier first.” Holding her company’s guidon before the ceremony, Leritte said one thing that will get her through the deployment is the trust she has in her noncommissioned officers. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I’m ready,” Leritte said. Odierno reminded his soldiers that their “brothers and sisters” from the 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 1st United Kingdom Armored Division, 1st Marine Division and — as late as last night — the 173rd Airborne Brigade, were already engaged in combat. “They are all selflessly risking their lives for our common defense, some have already made the ultimate sacrifice and we owe our freedom to them,” Odierno said. “Others are in captivity of a brutal and repressive regime. Please remember them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.” After watching the news coverage of the fighting in Iraq for more than a week, Sgt. Robert Canine said the ceremony means that his unit will be in the fight soon. The reports from the front have also brought forth other feelings. “Sometimes it angers you the way they fight and the way they treat the POWs,” said Canine, a Bradley fighting vehicle gunner with 1-22 Infantry. “I think everybody in our battalion is ready to get over there and help our brothers in the 3rd ID out.” Odierno told his soldiers the conflict they are about to join is not about religion, oil or politics, but rather a war to ensure America’s freedom and to maintain its way of life for future generations. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a nonnegotiable contract with the people of America to fight and win our nation’s wars,” Odierno said. “We pray for peace and do not wish for war, but we train to fight in order to protect our families, each other, and our country. Our cause is right and resolve is unwavering.” Watching from the wings with his 22-month-old son, Peter, on his shoulder was 1st Lt. John Boland. Beside him was his wife, Susanna, who will give birth to the couple’s second child in May. “It’s very tough,” Boland said of leaving his family behind. “I always imagined I’d be here for the birth of all my children. At the same time, I’m very proud I get to do what I’ve trained to do for a long time.” Susanna said that while she is a “little worried,” she is proud her husband is deploying to help the Iraqi people. “We’re pretty well set up,” Susanna said of her preparations for the deployment. “I explain to people back home that the community here is very supportive, so there’s no need to worry.” Very soon, Odierno said, TF Ironhorse will link up with its equipment and be ready for combat. “The full combat power of the task force will come to bear quickly and decisively upon an enemy that has no idea of the combined arms hammer that is getting ready to strike him,” Odierno said. “Almost 60 years ago our colors liberated Paris from the grips of a vile and tyrannical rule,” Odierno said. “Once again we have been called upon, and I assure you the magnificent soldiers of this powerful task force will continue the long, proud legacy of the Ironhorse Division.” Contact Kevin J. Dwyer at kjdwyer@kdhnews.com

Article from Rocky Mountain News on March 27th

War 'all too real' to regiment 3rd Armored Cavalry at Fort Carson bids a somber farewell
By Dick Foster, Rocky Mountain News March 27, 2003
COLORADO SPRINGS - There was a look in the eyes of the soldiers here Wednesday that said things had changed.
No longer was the war in Iraq an abstraction. Now the fighting and dying had begun. Soldiers in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Carson watched the first days of battle on television. Now, they are headed into the thick of it. As the regiment's 5,200 troops gathered for a farewell ceremony Wednesday morning, their demeanor had changed. The calm confidence during weeks of preparation had given way to a sober, no-nonsense focus, and behind that, a hint of apprehension for what lies ahead. "I told my troopers a few days ago that if they're not nervous, something's wrong," said Lt. Col. Phil Dolan, commander of a regiment tank squadron. On the green expanse of Pershing Field, on an almost balmy early spring morning, they formed up for their official departure ceremony. The regiment's lead elements will leave today for Kuwait, with other troops to follow in the days ahead. They looked across the parade ground to grandstands filled to capacity and spilling onto the field with more than 3,000 people who came to say goodbye. Spouses, parents, friends, and children. The children. Everywhere, mothers held babies, pushed strollers and held youngsters in tow. Along the fringe of the parade ground, the children knelt and sat by the armloads, in clusters - 7-year-olds and 10-year-olds sitting with baby brothers and sisters looking out at dads and moms in the vast formation of desert khaki. Everywhere was emphatic evidence that this is an army of young families facing months of anxious separation, and that if a tragedy should strike, there are countless victims beyond the battlefield. "It's all too real," said Tracy Medina, a surgical nurse at Penrose Hospital and the wife of Sgt. Jorge Medina, who will leave her and their 19-month-old son, Alejandro, in the days ahead. "You don't know if it's going to be chemical weapons and it's scary. I understand the medical aspects of what could happen," she said. As Sgt. Medina left his wife in the grandstands, Alejandro toddled out onto the parade ground, following his father until a friend carried him back to his mother. "It's tough to let the kids go," said Staff Sgt. Thomas Reed, holding his 13-month-old son, Tyler. "He's coming into the stage where he's getting close to me and now I have to leave." Fort Carson commander Maj. Gen. Robert Wilson threw an unintended but painful reminder to the departing troops when he opened his remarks with, "What a beautiful day. What a great day it is to be here in Colorado Springs." It may have passed unnoticed by troops and families whose thoughts were already half a world away. "My concern is our line of supply. It's very long and it's subject to interdiction by these guerilla forces," said Marv Wooten, a retired lieutenant colonel whose son, Capt. Colin Wooten, an Aurora Gateway High School graduate, is departing with the regiment. "Of course, as a parent, you have concern for your child," he said. Veteran cavalrymen who fought in the first Persian Gulf War are surprised by Iraqi tactics this time. The first war was highly conventional, with tank and infantry forces. In this war the Iraqis have used hit-and-run tactics, said Dolan. "It's caught me off guard," he said. If there is any consolation it is that the regiment is going as a follow-on unit, said Dolan. "It gives us an edge going in as a secondary force," he said. "We learn from what has happened. The guys who are leading the way are taking the brunt of everything." fosterd@RockyMountainNews.com or (719)633-4442

Article from Killeen Daily Herald on March 27th

Soldiers begin shipping out from Fort Hood Associated Press FORT HOOD -- Sadness mixed with a sense of relief today as family members attended a long-awaited send-off ceremony for the 12,500 soldiers in the Army's 4th Infantry Division. It is the first major deployment from Fort Hood, the nation's largest military post. Officials said an advance group, believed to be 400-500 troops, shipped out this morning and more were expected to leave in the afternoon. Thousands attended the outdoor ceremony, including soldiers clad in desert camouflage and children waving American flags. If the division sees combat, it will be the first time since Vietnam. Maj. Raymond Odierno told the crowd that soldiers were going to join the fight to replace an unethical and tyrannical regime. "It is not a war about religion; it is not a war about oil. It is not a war about politics," Odierno said. "It's a war to ensure the freedom of the oppressed Iraqi people." Donald Mayle, 23, who will leave behind his wife and 4-year-old son, said he no longer believes it will be a "cakewalk." As he has watched news coverage, he has become more worried about what he will face, he said. His wife said she also is worried but that knowing when he will leave provides some sense of relief. "Right now I never thought I'd say it, but I'm ready for him to go because the waiting has been the hardest part," said Brandy Mayle, 21. "I'm just trying to stay strong for my son." The 4th Infantry Division is considered the Army's most lethal and deployable heavy division and is equipped with a sophisticated computer system linking all vehicles. Troops received deployment orders in January but just began shipping out because of delays caused by Turkey's refusal to allow them to enter Iraq through a northern front. Just last week, they learned that their weaponry and equipment had been rerouted from Turkey to Kuwait, and that soldiers would follow close behind. Families say knowing more about what their loved ones will face has them much more worried. "Before, it was like, 'Oh, there's a war going on.' But now, there's casualties and POWs," said Elizabeth Hernandez, 37, as she grocery shopped with her giggling 2-year-old daughter. "It's actually hitting home more. We're realizing it's a real war, unlike Desert Storm." Hernandez's husband, Heriberto, is a staff sergeant. Because of their daughter, Isabela, the couple hasn't tuned in to many hours of TV coverage, but they read the local newspaper dutifully.

Article from Killeen Daily Herald on March 27th

The 4ID will conduct a casing of the colors ceremony at Ft Hood Texas on 27 Mar at 1000 hrs (FT Hood Local time - 1100 ET). I have been told that MSNBC will air the ceremony live. Units will be represented by all the BN CDRs and CSM. Note - this is MSNBC, not CNBC - on our local Atlanta cable system it is on channel 120 while CNBC is on 36, look at a high channel if you're not sure where MSNBC is in your area.

4th Infantry Division soldiers search stores for last-minute necessities By Kevin J. Dwyer Killeen Daily Herald With their deployment just days away, many 4th Infantry Division soldiers were running around town Wednesday to pick up some last-minute items before heading overseas. "I'm trying to get a large ruck (backpack) because the issue one I have can't fit everything," said Spc. Tyrel Boothby, of the 4th ID's DIVARTY. "It's not required, but it's better if you have more room." Boothby, and the other 12,500 soldiers in the 4th ID at Fort Hood, received their deployment orders in January and have been waiting to deploy for almost two months. Getting the pack together, Boothby said, was the last of the myriad of details he had to finish before being ready to go. However, finding all the pieces — at a reasonable price — took a little doing. "I went to the mall and the place there wanted 100 bucks for one and it was all faded looking," Boothby said. After striking out at the mall, Boothby said, he visited two surplus stores where he found the pack, frame, straps and pads for about $75. "Now I don't have to carry my MREs in my cargo pockets," Boothby said. With the more than 12,000 soldiers at Fort Hood, the 4th ID is the largest element of Task Force Ironhorse. When it is fully formed, TF Ironhorse will consist of more than 30,000 soldiers drawn from installations across the United States. Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Tom Metz, commanding general of III Corps and Fort Hood, acknowledged that the force would not be going into Iraq through Turkey as originally planned. The ships carrying the division's equipment, which were in a holding pattern off the Turkish coast for almost a month, are now headed to the Persian Gulf to unload their cargo. "By the end of this week the lead elements of the task force will be in theater," said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, 4th ID deputy public affairs officer. "When it arrives, the task force is prepared for any mission from peacekeeping to all-out combat." Spc. Joseph Avila and Spc. Julio Llompart, both of the 204th Forward Support Battalion, were in town in search of boonie hats and patches for their desert utilities. "The boonie covers are one of the things that's hardest to find," Avila said as he left a surplus store empty-handed. "You want to maintain uniformity and if they say, 'Put your boonie cap on,' you don't want to be the only guy standing there in a kevlar," Llompart said. Other items the two soldiers were looking for, Avila said, would make life in the desert a little more bearable. "Baby wipes, underwear and socks, the basic stuff," Avila said. Another detail the 4th ID was putting the finishing touches on was its color-casing ceremony, which takes place at 10 a.m. today. "It's a chance to say goodbye and a chance for the families and the community to come out one last time," Aberle said. Gov. Rick Perry's office confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the governor would be attending the ceremony to meet with the troops. During the ceremony, a special "Old Glory" American flag will be presented to Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commanding general of the 4th ID, to mark the division's deployment to the U.S. Central Command area. "Old Glory" will remain cased and safeguarded by the 4th ID until it is passed to another military organization now serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Contact Kevin J. Dwyer at kjdwyer@kdhnews.com

Article from Killeen Daily Herald on March 26th

4th ID troops to begin deploying this week By Kevin J. Dwyer Killeen Daily Herald Preparations continued at Fort Hood on Tuesday as the post geared up to deploy Task Force Ironhorse to Iraq. Fourth Infantry Division officials confirmed that the lead elements of the 12,500-soldier task force would be leaving the post by the end of the week. "As people have seen in the media, the 4th Infantry Division decision has been made," said Lt. Gen. Tom Metz, commanding general of III Corps and Fort Hood. "They won't go through Turkey; they'll go in a different route in the area of responsibility." The task force is made up of about 300 company-sized units and more than 33,000 soldiers drawn from several different posts throughout the United States. The overall timetable of the troop movement, Metz said, is still not being announced to the public for security reasons. Metz added that the 1st Cavalry Division, which received its deployment orders March 5, continues to train and is also ready to deploy if needed. Metz also said that in addition to the deployment of the 4th ID, several thousand other Fort Hood troops currently are deployed overseas. "What a lot of people in our community don't understand is that we also have a significant majority of the 13th Corps Support Command that is either deployed or on deployment orders," Metz said. "Those smaller units don't get as big attention, but they are critical to the overall effort." With the exodus of 4th ID troops this week — and perhaps the 1st Cav sometime in the future — dozens of buses have been chartered to ferry troops about post and to Robert Gray Army Airfield, said Fort Hood spokesman Cecil Green. "We have to be able to move reserves from North Fort Hood to main post and we have to be able to move 4th ID," Green said. Green was unable to say just how many buses the Army has chartered for the next few weeks. Fifteen Greyhound buses were parked at Motel 6 on U.S. Highway 190 and seven buses at the Hallmark Inn on Stan Schlueter Loop Tuesday. According to one of the Greyhound bus drivers, the buses were here to "move the troops" for the next week. Late Tuesday afternoon the buses entered the post and were staged at the manifest site at Abrams Field House. The 4th ID announced it will conduct a flag casing ceremony Thursday at 10 a.m. During the ceremony, a special "Old Glory" American flag will be presented to Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, commanding general of the 4th ID, to mark the division's deployment to the U.S. Central Command area. "Whenever a unit moves locations we case our colors and take them with us," said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, 4th ID deputy public affairs officer, about the ceremony. "It's a great morale booster for everyone and its an opportunity for our commanding general to talk to the soldiers and families." "Old Glory" will remain cased and safeguarded by the 4th ID until it is passed to another military organization now serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. One dignitary scheduled to attend the event, Aberle said, is Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Metz said that when TF Ironhorse arrives at its destination, the biggest task for the soldiers will be getting their gear ready to march north. "The first challenge I think they'll face is their equipment," Metz said. "Some of their equipment has been at sea for almost two months. Those harsh conditions, even though the equipment hasn't been moved, will still take its toll on that equipment." "That equipment has to be brought off those ships and prepared for combat. We know how to do that, but that will be a challenge because it is not often that equipment stays at sea that long." Once the division heads north toward the combat zone, Metz said, they will have to be prepared to join the fight. "They will roll in just as the 3rd Infantry Division is now and be required to fight a combined arms fight," Metz said. "Not only combined arms within the United States Army, but it's a combined arms across the Department of Defense." Metz said his impressions of the past week's fighting in Iraq is very positive. "As a student of this profession, I understand the complexity at which we are conducting this campaign," Metz said. Metz said his thoughts are with Chief Warrant Officers Ronald Young Jr., and David Williams and their families following the Fort Hood soldiers' capture Monday in Iraq. Young and Williams, assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division, were taken prisoner after their AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter was forced down south of Baghdad. The general did, however, have a word of caution to members of the media covering the story of the captured aviators. "I'm very proud of the strength our families have shown," Metz said. "I'm very proud of the interest the media has shown in (the families), but we must be careful with the information we let flow, because that information can be used in a negative way by the Iraqi regime and possibly harm our soldiers." Contact Kevin J. Dwyer at kjdwyer@kdhnews.com

Article from Killeen Daily Herald on March 22th

From the Killeen paper - update on Saturday afternoon March 22: Pentagon abandons Turkey deployment plan; 4th ID redirected to Persian GulfThe Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP)--After weeks of waiting off Turkey's coast, dozens of U.S. ships carrying weaponry for the Army's 4th Infantry Division have been redirected to the Persian Gulf, two U.S. defense officials said Saturday. The decision ends U.S. hopes of using Turkish bases to move heavy armored forces into northern Iraq, where Bush administration officials fear conflict between Turkish forces and Iraqi Kurds. About 40 ships carrying the division's weaponry and equipment were to begin moving through the Suez Canal on Sunday, one of the officials said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity. The 4th Infantry's soldiers, who remained at Fort Hood, Texas, after their weaponry and equipment went to the Mediterranean last month, are likely to go to Kuwait, the officials said. It also was possible that they could enter Iraq directly through the Gulf port of Umm Qasr, now under the control of British and U.S. Marines after clashes Friday with Iraqi forces. The original plan had the entire division of about 17,500 soldiers heading to Turkey, along with some Army troops based in Germany. It was not immediately clear if the full division would go to Kuwait. The redirected cargo ships are to begin arriving off the coast of Kuwait about March 30, one official said. All the ships would arrive by about April 10. From Kuwait they could move into Iraq to serve as reinforcements if the ground war lasts more than several weeks, or as occupation forces after the Iraqi government's collapse. The Army already had hundreds of troops into southern Turkey to facilitate the possible use of bases there as a staging area for the 4th Infantry, but Turkey's parliament refused to grant access. Turkey also has been off-limits so far for U.S. aircraft flying missions into Iraq from aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean, officials said Saturday. As an alternative for securing northern Iraq with the tanks and other heavy armor of the 4th Infantry, U.S. special operations forces are now in the area and other conventional forces may join them, officials have said. Northern Iraq is a particularly sensitive area because of the autonomous Kurdish region and the potential for Kurdish conflict with Turkish forces. There were Friday that Turkish soldiers in armored personnel carriers had rolled into northern Iraq near where the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Iran converge. But the Turkish military on Saturday denied it. The reports had said 1,000 Turkish commandos had crossed the border. The United States has no evidence of Turkish movements or new any new incursions in northern Iraq, a senior Bush administration official said. Fort Hood troops to ship out next week Associated Press FORT HOOD — Ending weeks of frustrating indecision, about 12,500 soldiers in the Army's 4th Infantry Division stationed here are expected to begin shipping out to the Persian Gulf next week after the United States abandoned efforts to send them into northern Iraq through Turkey, U.S. defense and Army officials said Saturday. The division, considered the Army's most lethal and deployable heavy division, is the first major element to move out from Fort Hood, the nation's largest military post. Two defense officials said Saturday that dozens of U.S. ships carrying weaponry for the division have been redirected from their holding position off Turkey's coast to the Persian Gulf. Soldiers, many irritated that Turkey's indecision kept them from opening a northern front into Iraq, said the news was both relieving and sobering. "It's like, OK, at last," said Maj. Josslyn Aberle, a public affairs officer for the division. "The decision has been made, the speculating is over, the waiting is over, the wondering is over. Now it's time to do our jobs." Staff Sgt. John Garfield, 31, said he wasn't sure how to react to the news. "We've been sitting around for two plus months, not knowing," Garfield said after spending the morning getting outfitted with his desert camouflage uniform. "But I guess when it comes right down to it nobody wants to go. I'm in no hurry to go and get shot at." About 40 ships carrying the division's weaponry and equipment were to begin moving through the Suez Canal on Sunday, one of the defense officials said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity. The 4th Infantry's soldiers are likely to go to Kuwait, the officials said. It also was possible that they could enter Iraq directly through the Gulf port of Umm Qasr, now under the control of British and U.S. Marines after clashes Friday with Iraqi forces. The original plan had the entire division of about 17,500 soldiers from Fort Hood and other installations heading to Turkey, along with some Army troops based in Germany. It was not immediately clear if the full division would go to Kuwait.

Article from Killeen Daily Herald on March 12th

Some 4th ID troops waiting to deploy are really roughing it By Kevin J. Dwyer Killeen Daily Herald FORT HOOD — More than seven weeks after the orders came down for the 4th Infantry Division to deploy, its soldiers Tuesday still were waiting to leave Fort Hood. Many of these soldiers, the ones who live on post in the barracks, have spent the past few weeks learning to appreciate the simpler life. A life devoid of televisions, computers, civilian clothes and everything else that makes a barracks room home. A life that soldiers of decades past would easily recognize. "We packed up our stuff two weeks ago and the movers came and took all our household goods," said Cpl. Joseph Torres, 22, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment. "I have nothing in my room except for two sets of civilian clothes, and a pillow and a sheet to sleep with," Torres said. "Say you've got only two pairs of (civilian) clothes; you're having to wash them every other day." Most, if not all, of the soldiers in the 4th ID expected to be overseas by now. However, because of ongoing diplomatic issues with the Turkish government, virtually every piece of equipment the division owns is waiting aboard ships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. "It hasn't been too bad for me," said Pfc. Gregory Turner, 23, 1-22 Infantry. "I was able to keep my Xbox and my TV. Everybody just comes to my room and plays games." Although the rest of his possessions were packed up two weeks ago, Turner said, when he leaves his team leader will let him store the electronic gear at his house. "My drawers are empty except for some poly pros (thermal underwear), and the wall locker is empty except for some uniforms, and all of that is going into the duffel," Turner said. "It's not bad at all. Maybe it would be if I didn't have my TV and my Xbox..." For Torres, though, storing his things was a little more complex. Married last month, Torres decided to store his things with his wife, who is still living in Odessa. "It's only four hours there and four hours back," Torres said. Although the soldiers living in the barracks have said farewell to their stereos, televisions and game systems, most of them who own cars still have them. Lt. Col. Mark Woempner, 1-22 Infantry commander, said that all the paperwork to store the cars has been finished, and all the soldiers will have to do is bring them to the storage lot. Torres said that once he leaves, his wife will come to Fort Hood, pick up the car, and drive it home. Turner though, had a different solution to the problem of what to do with his car: he sold it. "It had a blown head gasket anyway," Turner said with a grin. "So I just got rid of it." With many of the modern pleasures gone from their lives, the soldiers have been creative in finding new — and old — ways of passing the time. "We're starting up a bowling team," Torres said, adding that the sport is a great way to bond with his teammates. "What do you do when you go bowling? We have a two-beer limit and we talk and bowl and it's fun." Getting into the spirit of the game, Torres said, he and many of his friends have gone out and bought their own balls. "I haven't named it yet," he said. While the bowling has been fun and a decent pastime, not having his things has been a problem, said Torres, who served with the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Afghanistan last year. "So many people have stalled their lives with this deployment," Torres said. "My wife is starting to question if we're ever going." Contact Kevin J. Dwyer at kjdwyer@kdhnews.com

Back to Active Unit Main News Page