NcDeuce
08-18-2004, 12:48 PM
Rendezvous with destiny awaits infant 4th Brigade
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
Just as the 101st Airborne Division began its history more than 60 years ago with a ceremony, so did the division's newest brigade Tuesday when 4th Brigade was activated as part of the Army's transformation to flexible and lethal "Units of Action."
About 1,000 people -- most of them soldiers for the new brigade -- attended the historic rite of uncasing the unit's colors on the Division Parade Field.
Post and division commander Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Turner passed the 4th Brigade's flag to new brigade leaders Col. Thomas D. Vail and Command Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Chapman.
Turner talked to the crowd about how the activation not only affects the future of fighting with the new ready-to-go Brigade Combat Teams, but for soldiers and their families because they won't have to move from post to post as often.
"(There will be) longer period of times between deployments when our nation is at war. I'm confident that the 4th Brigade will continue meeting challenges with its next rendezvous with destiny," said Turner, adding that enthusiasm for the new unit is not a replacement for competence as the division builds its tactical efficiency. "The next seven months we will have many long, cold and wet days."
Col. Vail said he was excited about being in charge of a new brigade because it represents the old with the new.
"The building of the 4th Brigade is made easy because of quality leaders on the field today," said Vail, describing the meshing of fresh-from-basic-training soldiers with battle-experienced veterans to make them "cohesive" and "deployable."
"The American soldier is powerful, and the continuity of the Army has professional officers and noncommissioned officers. We are (just as) prepared to go to war as any brigade," Vail said.
The biggest challenge now for the newest brigade will be receiving and processing the remainder of its 4,000 soldiers and equipment.
Pvts. Brandi Smith and Michael Bowers, both 18, are the youngest soldiers assigned to 4th Brigade, and were selected as part of the welcoming party for the new leadership.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289-495394.jpg
Bowers
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289-495396.jpg
Smith
"I'm fresh out of (job training) so it's good to get into an operational unit," said Smith, who does communication repair.
Bowers, an infantryman, agreed.
And while he will miss his 187th Infantry Regiment "brothers" he's been with for the past five months, starting anew will bring strong camaraderie.
"I think it will be good to learn with all the other guys," he said.
The Army's transformation plan involves adding a fourth brigade to each of its 10 divisions and reducing the size of all brigades into units with all the components needed to go into battle. The Unit of Action will combine infantry, artillery, intelligence, reconnaissance, aviation and support troops. Following a modular concept, the smaller UAs are able to quickly move to any hot spot, and be interchangeable with other divisions to meet today's enemies head-on.
At Fort Campbell, the post has already taken in 2,000 more troops to build the fourth brigade with more expected.
The soldiers from several units deactivated on post such as 501st Signal Battalion, 326th Engineer Battalion, 311th Military Intelligence and the 101st Corps Support Group have been redistributed among the Units of Action and other posts.
Although it is unknown at this time what the new brigade's regimental name will be, the division is working hard to bring back the storied 506th Infantry Regiment. The 506th jumped into Normandy during World War II, and it is from the regiment that Easy Company was highlighted in the HBO series, "Band of Brothers."
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289-495395.jpg
Soldiers salute during an activation ceremony for 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Campbell Tuesday.
Cool stuff.
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
Just as the 101st Airborne Division began its history more than 60 years ago with a ceremony, so did the division's newest brigade Tuesday when 4th Brigade was activated as part of the Army's transformation to flexible and lethal "Units of Action."
About 1,000 people -- most of them soldiers for the new brigade -- attended the historic rite of uncasing the unit's colors on the Division Parade Field.
Post and division commander Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Turner passed the 4th Brigade's flag to new brigade leaders Col. Thomas D. Vail and Command Sgt. Maj. Larry L. Chapman.
Turner talked to the crowd about how the activation not only affects the future of fighting with the new ready-to-go Brigade Combat Teams, but for soldiers and their families because they won't have to move from post to post as often.
"(There will be) longer period of times between deployments when our nation is at war. I'm confident that the 4th Brigade will continue meeting challenges with its next rendezvous with destiny," said Turner, adding that enthusiasm for the new unit is not a replacement for competence as the division builds its tactical efficiency. "The next seven months we will have many long, cold and wet days."
Col. Vail said he was excited about being in charge of a new brigade because it represents the old with the new.
"The building of the 4th Brigade is made easy because of quality leaders on the field today," said Vail, describing the meshing of fresh-from-basic-training soldiers with battle-experienced veterans to make them "cohesive" and "deployable."
"The American soldier is powerful, and the continuity of the Army has professional officers and noncommissioned officers. We are (just as) prepared to go to war as any brigade," Vail said.
The biggest challenge now for the newest brigade will be receiving and processing the remainder of its 4,000 soldiers and equipment.
Pvts. Brandi Smith and Michael Bowers, both 18, are the youngest soldiers assigned to 4th Brigade, and were selected as part of the welcoming party for the new leadership.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289-495394.jpg
Bowers
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289-495396.jpg
Smith
"I'm fresh out of (job training) so it's good to get into an operational unit," said Smith, who does communication repair.
Bowers, an infantryman, agreed.
And while he will miss his 187th Infantry Regiment "brothers" he's been with for the past five months, starting anew will bring strong camaraderie.
"I think it will be good to learn with all the other guys," he said.
The Army's transformation plan involves adding a fourth brigade to each of its 10 divisions and reducing the size of all brigades into units with all the components needed to go into battle. The Unit of Action will combine infantry, artillery, intelligence, reconnaissance, aviation and support troops. Following a modular concept, the smaller UAs are able to quickly move to any hot spot, and be interchangeable with other divisions to meet today's enemies head-on.
At Fort Campbell, the post has already taken in 2,000 more troops to build the fourth brigade with more expected.
The soldiers from several units deactivated on post such as 501st Signal Battalion, 326th Engineer Battalion, 311th Military Intelligence and the 101st Corps Support Group have been redistributed among the Units of Action and other posts.
Although it is unknown at this time what the new brigade's regimental name will be, the division is working hard to bring back the storied 506th Infantry Regiment. The 506th jumped into Normandy during World War II, and it is from the regiment that Easy Company was highlighted in the HBO series, "Band of Brothers."
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040818/localnews/1068289-495395.jpg
Soldiers salute during an activation ceremony for 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Campbell Tuesday.
Cool stuff.