Photo By Sgt. Kimberly Browne | Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky, the maneuvers general for the 1st Cavalry Division, hugs his...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – The 1st Cavalry Division’s Cooper Field has seen many ceremonies over the years. From changes of command to retirements but this ceremony marks an historical event for the division.
Troopers from the cavalry headquarters returned from their first deployment in Afghanistan after a year, April 20, to Cooper Field.
Uncasing the division’s colors was their first order of duty, to show the First Team’s Headquarters was back home but the order to “charge” was shortly thereafter.
For the commander to yell “charge” signified to the families and the returning soldiers to reunite again after their year apart.
“It’s great to be reunited with the family,” said Lt. Col. Chad Carroll, the public affairs officer for the division. “It was a good deployment, made a lot of great progress out there but it’s always great to be home.”
While deployed, the division was in charge of Regional Command-East, also known as Combined Joint Task Force-1. RC-East covers 14 Afghan provinces, roughly the size of the state of Ohio, with 450 miles of border with Pakistan.
They also oversaw the actions and campaigns of 31,000 coalition forces soldiers from 13 nations.
RC-East had many successes over the year while under CJTF-1.
Operations such as Hammer Down and Hammer Down II disrupted insurgent operations and also continued the expansion of Afghan National Security Forces capabilities.
Operation Knife Edge also occurred under the watch of the division.
Knife Edge consisted of Afghan Security Forces and their NATO allies pushing against and reducing the Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network along the troubled Pakistani border.
CJTF-1’s primary mission in Afghanistan was to provide security, governance and development for the people of RC-East.
14 Provincial Reconstruction Teams also fell within RC-East. The PRT objectives are to extend the authority of the Afghan central government, and to facilitate reconstruction.
Transitioning securities from coalition forces to Afghan forces was also a work-in-progress for RC-East.
Within the year they transitioned the entire provinces of Bamyan and Panjshir, Parwan province transitioned except for two districts. Several major districts and cities transitioned to Afghan forces including; Mehter Lam, the capital city of Laghman province - Jalalabad, the capital city of Nangahar province - and Surobi District, Kabul province.
“The Afghan Security Forces are much more capable now then they were a year ago,” said Maj. Gen. Daniel Allyn, the commanding general of the 1st Cav. “They get stronger every single day and are very confident of their capabilities. And they are capable of defeating the insurgents and enemies of Afghanistan.”
The command also had individual soldier accomplishments as well as hardships.
Nine soldiers were awarded Silver Star Medals and 43 Bronze Star Medals with Valor devices while under CJTF-1. However, there were more than 1,200 Purple Heart Medals earned.
"We've completed our mission in Afghanistan and we're ready to start the next leg of the journey," Allyn said.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2012 13:46 |
| Story ID: | 87188 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 596 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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