Photo By Staff Sgt. Takita Lawery | Lt. Col. Clinton R. Cody, commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua M. Bryan, senior...... read more read more
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Soldiers and leaders of the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, cased their colors Jan. 20 at Fort Riley in preparation for their upcoming nine-month deployment to the Republic of Korea.
The casing of the unit colors is an Army tradition that symbolizes the movement of a unit to a new theater of operations.
The first of about 360 “Fighting Sixth” Soldiers started began deploying in November 2016 and will be on hand to support the Republic of Korea as part of a scheduled rotational aviation force that will help maintain security on the Korean peninsula.
“This will be a very difficult, tough and demanding mission,” said Lt. Col. Clinton R. Cody, the squadron’s commander. “This is a team of dedicated professionals and there’s no other team that I would rather go on this mission with.”
The 1st Sqdn., 6th Cav. Regt., will be conducting split operations, meaning they will be operating from three locations in Korea for the duration of the rotation.
The Soldiers are taking with them AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters, which have replaced the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack airframes due to the Army transitioning away from the Kiowa. The unit will be the first to do this rotation using the Apache helicopters since the aviation restructuring initiative began.
“We will utilize this new and unique capability as we deter North Korean aggression over the next nine months alongside our U.S. and South Korean partners,” Cody said.
To prepare for the Korean mission, the Fighting Sixth conducted various training exercises such as executing an Apache gunnery density, mission readiness and the first-ever SABER Focus, a collective training exercise that replicated the North Korean threat on a multi-domain battlefield.
Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley acting senior commander, expressed his confidence in the squadron stating that the troopers are known for their innovative and aggressive offensive spirit.
“The disciplined CAV troopers are highly trained and are an exceptionally lethal heavy attack reconnaissance squadron,” Frank said. “They will dominate on any battlefield.”
The Apache helicopters conduct rear, close and shaping strikes against relocatable targets. They also provide armed reconnaissance when required in day and night obscured battlefield and adverse weather conditions.
Once on ground, the unit will replace the 1st Sqdn., 17th Cav. Regt., 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2017 11:14 |
| Story ID: | 221618 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 256 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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