Photo By Master Sgt. Nathan Hutchison | U.S. Forces Afghanistan celebrated a transfer of authority today as Maj. Gen. Jeffrey...... read more read more
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By Vanessa Villarreal, USFOR-A, Public Affairs Office
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - The 10th Mountain Division has taken the reigns once again. The light infantry division from Fort Drum, New York, is back for the sixth time in Afghanistan--this time in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel as part of U.S. Forces –Afghanistan (USFOR-A).
Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Bannister, commander, 10th Mountain Division, relieved Maj. Gen. James Rainey as the deputy commanding general-support for USFOR-A. Rainey and his 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers served a yearlong deployment as the main planning effort of USFOR-A. Bannister additionally assumed the responsibility of commander of both Bagram Air Field and Joint Task Force 10.
“Today marks a change in leadership and responsibility from one of the most important divisions to another very important division,” Bannister said. “And the team here at Bagram is responsible for a wide range of critical missions – from planning retrograde of operations, budget execution, to partnered security patrols, to engagement with the local community, and direct support to our counterterrorism efforts. And suffice it to say, the team here can and will do everything. And they can do it all. And I have yet to meet anyone here from USFOR-A or the greater BAF community that wasn’t ready to take on even more challenges and contribute to this very important mission.”
The 3ID will return to Fort Stewart, Georgia, marking the end of six deployments – four to Iraq and two to Afghanistan. During the past year, it conducted over 3,000 combined and partnered patrols with Afghan teammates, managed a $3.3 billion budget, reduced the amount of material in theater by over 40 percent, managed $20 million in projects and $3 billion worth of contracts, processed 3,800 awards, and hosted 165 distinguished guest visits.
The 3ID boasts a history of service in World War I, World War II, Korea, Operation Desert Storm, Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, Operation Enduring Freedom, suffering more than 50,000 wartime casualties. Fifty-five members of 3ID have been awarded the Medal of Honor, more than any other division in the Army.
“The real credit goes to the men and women of 3ID and their joint and civilian teammates that formed USFOR-A,” Rainey, commanding general of 3ID, said. “They’ve set the standard for professionalism and dedication to duty over the past 12 months while serving together as USFOR-A and JTF-3. They took care of each other and they were great teammates. And that’s the thing I’m proudest of. They’ve written another proud chapter in the history of the division that stretches from the Marne through Baghdad to Kandahar and now to Bagram.”
The 10th Mountain Division marks its seventh deployment – six in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. The 10 MD was originally activated on July 15, 1943, at Camp Hale, Colo. The division was re-designated as the 10th Mountain Division on Nov. 6, 1944, and reactivated at Fort Drum, N.Y., in 1985 as a Light Infantry Division.
The 10th MD served in Italy during World War II, contributing to the final surrender of German forces. Since reactivation, it has served in numerous multinational and joint operations, including Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo.
After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the division was the first conventional force to deploy to Afghanistan. The division continued to deploy multiple brigades and headquarters elements to both Iraq and Afghanistan, serving during all phases of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Most recently, the division headquarters served as the headquarters for Regional Command - East in Bagram, redeploying from Afghanistan in November 2014.
“We are here today in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, supporting U.S. forces, NATO, and our other coalition partners in their efforts to advance Afghanistan’s stability,” Bannister said. “Together, we accept the mission that lies ahead, and we vow to strengthen the work of those that have come before us – especially those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the future of this nation.”
| Date Taken: | 11.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2015 14:30 |
| Story ID: | 181589 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 892 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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