Task Force Arrowhead says goodbye to Task Force Vigilant

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jason Kendrick | Soldiers of Task Force Vigilant, attached to 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, render honors to the nation at the playing of the national anthem during an end of mission ceremony Jan. 30 at Camp Victory. The Soldiers, who were sliced out of the Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mtn. Div., ran the Area Defense Operations Center for Camp Victory for the past 10 months.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

01.30.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Jason Kendrick 

Multi-National Division Baghdad

By Staff Sgt. Jason Kendrick
56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – The mission of the 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 36th Inf. Div., Multi-National Division – Baghdad, is to run the Base Defense Operation Center, otherwise known as the BDOC. Part of that mission is the coordination of efforts from the various Area Defense Operation Centers, or ADOCs, located on Camp Liberty, Camp Victory and Camp Slayer, among others.

One of the stalwarts of the team was Task Force Vigilant, which has served as the Camp Victory ADOC for the past 10 months. MND-B bade farewell to the Soldiers of the task force Jan. 30 during an end of mission ceremony to mark the end of their mission.

Task Force Vigilant is comprised of Soldiers from the Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, and commanded by Maj. Hector Martinez; Master Sgt. Jon Ours served as the task force's senior enlisted leader.

During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Steven Parker, the DSTB commander, thanked his Soldiers for the hard work and reminded them that there is still work to be done.

"You have completed this mission but not the mission at hand," Parker said.

With the current phase of the deployment complete, the DSTB Soldiers will now transition into another mission in southern Iraq near the port of Basra. Their change of mission is indicative of their high operational tempo.

"What you guys have been doing is basically like putting socks on an octopus," said Col. Lee Henry, commander of the 56th IBCT. "You have been working through a high op-tempo and multiple missions – between running the Victory ADOC, transitioning to Basra and Kuwait, you guys have been busy. Most units that have a high op-tempo have a level of degradation, but not you guys. You have maintained a high level of success."

• Date Taken: 01.30.2009
• Date Posted: 01.30.2009 12:51
• Story ID: 29464
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ