Photo By Sgt. Melissa Lessard | 1st. Lt. Danielle Tinnell, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, embraces her father...... read more read more
(FORT HOOD, Texas, September 26, 2018)---After nearly a year, 140 Soldiers with the 504th Military Intelligence (MI) Brigade (BDE) return from deployment in Afghanistan Sep. 24.
“Stand tall, and be proud of all you have accomplished,” said Col. Deitra Trotter, the 504th commander, to her Soldiers during the welcome home and uncasing ceremony. “It has been a long year and we have touched a lot of people.”
The 163rd MI Battalion (BN) with the 504th MI BDE deployed to Afghanistan in October 2017. Their mission was to conduct combat intelligence operations in support of Operation Freedoms Sentinel and the United States Forces-Afghanistan.
During the homecoming ceremony, more than 300 Soldiers and family members filled the West Fort Hood gym. As the deployed Soldiers entered the facility everyone started clapping and cheering for their safe return.
The 504th and 163rd uncased their colors to signify that their mission is officially completed.
“No amount of words from the dictionary can describe how much the Soldiers and families missed each other,” said Trotter.
Melody Bloker, who runs the Soldiers Hospitality House in Killeen, Texas, brought her family to meet Sgt. Mylyn Wery, who is with the 504th. She said that Wery fit right in with her family when they first met.
“She is like a sister to my children,” said Bloker.
Wery was decorated with many lays and roses.
“It’s amazing to be back,” said Wery.
During the deployment the unit provided 32 intelligence collections teams, technical intelligence through the mission command of the Afghanistan Captured Materials Exploitation Laboratory, the Biometrics Team, and the Theatre Biometrics Collection-Afghanistan. The 163rd MI BN provided intelligence to all the United States and Coalition Forces combatant commanders in Afghanistan through signals intelligence, human intelligence, counterintelligence, and technical intelligence.
Their operations answered Commander Resolute Support Priority Intelligence Requirements including conventional, Special Operations, and partnered Afghan Army forces during train, advise, and assist missions. They also provided serialized intelligence to the greater intelligence community through timely, accurate, and discoverable reporting.
“More than 8,000 human and counterintelligence reports,” said Trotter. “More than 20,000 signals intelligence reports. Mission command of over 68,000 ground and aerial (intelligence support requests) and over 18,000 (counterintelligence screenings). Support of over 900 Security Force Assistance Brigade and training, advise, and assist outside the wire operations, 30 Combat Action Badges, and two Purple Hearts.”
The missions that the 163rd MI BN conducted included kinetic strikes that resulted in the death of the Helmand Province Deputy Taliban Commander. The timely deliverance of intelligence triggered a major special operations task force raid and subsequent strike of a Taliban intelligence facility and prison. These actions significantly degraded and disrupted the enemy’s capabilities, enhanced force protection, and allowed for the continued safety of the Afghan civilian population.
The intelligence teams integrated with Joint and Multinational Coalition Forces deploying while providing critical support to the Afghanistan National Defense Security Force campaign against the enemy across Southern, Southwestern, and Western Afghanistan. This campaign was critical to secure contested districts, setting the conditions for safe and credible national elections for the Government if the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Information from Killeen Daily Herald news release is included in this release.
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2018 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 294442 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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