Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Whitney Houston | Spc. Dusty Pannel, a native of Gulfport, Miss., who serves with 890th Engineer...... read more read more
By Sgt. Whitney Houston
Multi-National Divisin - Baghdad
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Having performed the courageous tasks of clearing roads of explosive devices for combat and logistical missions along dangerous supply routes, erecting miles of concrete security barriers in the city, and undertaking building and reconstruction projects large and small, the 926th Engineer Brigade, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, celebrated its last Sapper Call at the Goat House on Camp Liberty, Feb. 1.
The Soldiers of the 926th Eng. Bde. will soon leave Baghdad after having fulfilled their duties as sappers and engineers, who historically and traditionally fight on the front lines and essentially facilitate other operations to be safely completed.
"There's no one but the engineers that can protect the Soldiers the way that you're doing it. No one else can do vertical-horizontal construction, route clearance, route sanitation, mobility or counter mobility. No one else but you guys protect the MSRs, which keeps our Soldiers from harm's way," said Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, a Hattiesburg, Miss., native, who is the commanding general of MND-B and the 4th Infantry Division, as he spoke to the engineers.
As the 926th Eng. Bde. completes its mission in Baghdad and prepares to redeploy, it is being replaced by another engineer brigade, which will resume where it left off.
"This is a season of change with the 926th Engineer Brigade. Fortunately, we are blessed to have our brothers from the 225th Engineer Brigade joining us here tonight and will be taking the reins for the engineer mission here in Baghdad," said Col. Jared Olsen, a native of Chicago, who serves as commander of Task Force Gold, 926th Eng. Bde.
Olsen went on to explain the satisfaction of an engineer who has accomplished the mission and the visual evidence of how that mission contributed to the fight in Baghdad.
"The breadth of the mission has been very special and unique," he said.
One of many important factors in the wide spectrum of the engineer mission was its recent role in securing a safe provincial election in Baghdad.
"Your hard work and dedicated effort made a significant difference yesterday [Jan. 31] in the provincial elections," Hammond said. "The conditions are now set to continue to push our way through the year of 2009 to succeed with sustainable security and protection for the people of Iraq."
Another successful election completed and a safer Iraq established, the 926th Engineer Brigade completes its mission on a high note and leave a level playing field for the 225th Eng. Bde. to come in and perpetuate as well as increase that security as Iraq continues to refine itself.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2009 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 29609 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 78 |
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