KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Last year around this time, a group of soldiers and civilians cased its unit colors in preparation for deployment overseas.
The same U.S. Army team performed the casing procedures once again. But this time it's headed back home to America after completing its engineering mission in Afghanistan.
The 579th Engineer Detachment (Forward Engineer Support Team - Main) transferred responsibilities to the 533rd Engineer Detachment (FEST-M) during a ceremony here April 7.
Casing the detachment colors were Col. Richard W. Dean II, 579th EN DET (FEST-M) commander, and Sgt. 1st Class Candido Aguilar, 579th EN DET (FEST-M) first sergeant.
Dean’s detachment had many goals and aspirations in mind, though assisting the Afghan government came to the forefront.
“The engineers have worked feverishly to design infrastructure for the local and provincial governance systems in Kandahar,” Dean said. “These included renovating police substations, completing various force protection projects, and redesigning numerous roads throughout the province.”
Other significant projects included planning for the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) and development of designs for coalition partners on Kandahar Airfield.
“Once the team carved out a niche in this deployed environment, it adapted to the conditions,” he said. “We all exercised our strengths to be a ready, relevant and reliable engineer resource to our Afghan and coalition partners.”
The ceremony also marked the completion of the first deployment of a U.S. Army Modified Table of Organization & Equipment (MTOE) unit consisting of civilians and Soldiers to a combat theater of operations.
“This was a total team effort,” Dean said. “I am very proud of everyone on this team.”
The 579th EN DET (FEST-M), which was reactivated in October 2007, will redeploy later this month back to Vicksburg, Miss. and reset for training for the next overseas contingency operation or possibly in response to a natural disaster around the world.
The 533rd FEST-M arrives into country from Fort Knox, Ky., and will assume engineering operations under the leadership of Col. Culen K. Robinson.
| Date Taken: | 04.08.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2011 18:03 |
| Story ID: | 68469 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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