Photo By Staff Sgt. Garrettgarrett Ralston | Sgt. David Bamba, a broadcast journalist from the 305th Mobile Public Affairs...... read more read more
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BABIL PROVINCE, Iraq – When the U.S. government announced the end of combat operations in Iraq Aug. 31, it created some confusion about our military’s role in the country.
One unit in southern Iraq is doing its part to clear up that confusion by defining Operation New Dawn in a video series that will chronicle the unit’s historic fourth deployment to Iraq. The first episode in the planned series describes the importance of the mission through the perspective of Soldiers and leaders of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
“You’re deploying where?”
“I thought we were already out of Iraq.”
These exchanges were common in the days leading up to 3rd ACR’s August deployment as the first Advise and Assist Brigade under the newly named Operation New Dawn. In their responses, soldiers quickly found themselves acting as ambassadors of the continued U.S. commitment to Iraq.
“I was talking to one of my acquaintances at a local store, and she seemed surprised that I was being sent to Iraq,” said 2nd Lt. Gregory White of Dallas, who deployed to Iraq in November 2010 after the change of mission to Operation New Dawn. White now works as a liaison for the 3rd ACR, coordinating transportation for distinguished visitors to the Regiment’s various bases in southern Iraq. “I explained that although the nature of the U.S. mission had changed, we still had obligations to fulfill to the people of Iraq.”
Operation New Dawn is the name given to the new mission of advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces to take the lead in securing their country from external and internal threats. It eclipsed the former moniker, Operation Iraqi Freedom, which represented the liberation of Iraqis from the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein.
The recent achievements of the people of Iraq in electing a representative government as well as an overall decrease in violence in the country have paved the way for the phased withdrawal of U.S. Forces. Under the current security agreement with the government of Iraq, all U.S. Forces are scheduled to leave the country by Dec. 31, 2011.
“I like to think of it as the last member of a long distance relay race,” said Lt. Col. Michael True, a native of Fredericksburg, Texas, and chief of operations for the 3rd ACR. “The baton has been passed from one unit to another unit for the last seven years, and we’re the unit lucky enough to get passed the baton to finish the race.”
The series, entitled “Rifles Reflections,” harkens to the historic motto penned by Gen. Winfield Scott after the battle of Contreras in the Mexican War on Aug. 20, 1847, when he called the proud warriors of the Regiment the “Brave Rifles” for their courageous acts.
“I didn’t think I would be a part of something so significant historically,” said Sgt. David Bamba, a native of Guam and the broadcast journalist who produced the video. “It’s an honor to work on something like this because this represents what New Dawn is about.”
Bamba, who deployed to Iraq with the 305th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment of Hawaii, has been traveling around the country’s southern provinces capturing footage and interviews of 3rd ACR soldiers for the project.
The 3rd ACR is the last unit of its kind in the Army. Upon completion of its mission in Iraq, the unit is scheduled to transform to a brigade combat team equipped with Stryker vehicles, making this the last deployment of a traditional armored cavalry regiment in U.S. history.
The first part of the series, “Part I: Rising to a New Dawn,” is scheduled for release in January on the unit’s social media site at www.facebook.com/3dACR.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.11.2011 06:20 |
| Story ID: | 63350 |
| Location: | BABIL PROVINCE, IQ |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Inside the New Dawn: Unit begins video series chronicling efforts in Iraq, by LTC Jason Billington, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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