First Team uncases colors

By Sgt. Angel TurnerOctober 20, 2014

First Team uncases colors
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Michael Bills (left), commanding general, 1st Cavalry Division, and Command Sgt. Major Andrew Barteky, the division's command sergeant major, uncase the division colors during an uncasing ceremony at Cooper Field at Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 1... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
First Team uncases colors
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Michael Bills (left), commanding general, 1st Cavalry Division, and Command Sgt. Major Andrew Barteky, the division command sergeant major, uncase the division colors during an uncasing ceremony at Cooper Field at Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 17.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
First Team uncases colors
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The 1st Cavalry Division command team and spouses clap to "Garryowen" following the uncasing of the division colors during a ceremony on Cooper Field at Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 17. More than 300 Soldiers assigned to the division headquarters deployed ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
First Team uncases colors
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The 1st Cavalry Division Honor Guard performs the cake-cutting ceremony following the uncasing of the division colors during a ceremony on Cooper Field at Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 17. Roughly 75 Soldiers of the 300 that deployed will remain in Afghanis... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas - "The sheer number of deployments by this division serves as a continued reminder of what the price of defending this nation, our freedom and way of life is about," said 1st Cavalry Division's commanding general Maj. Gen. Michael Bills, as he prepared to deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom last summer.

Now four months later, to signify the completion of that mission, Bills and Division Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Major Andrew Barteky, uncased the unit's colors during a ceremony on Cooper Field at Fort Hood, Texas, Oct. 17.

"When we conducted our transfer of authority in July, I told our Troopers to 'make every day count.' They did that and more," Bills said.

The division served as the Regional Command-South headquarters in Afghanistan overseeing the closure and transfer of four Forward Operation Bases - Spin Boldak, Walton, Pasab and Apache.

Bills said the transition of those bases occurred at night under enemy contact .

"The successful transfers or closures (of these bases) were due to planning, rehearsal and execution of a combined team of joint and coalition partners working closely together with an end state on consolidation of all coalition Soldiers on Kandahar Air Field," Bills said. "We learned quickly through our train-up and the plan we set forth for Regional Command-South and Train Advise and Assist Command - South was sound as we hit each transition point in stride."

In addition to the base operations, the division successfully redeployed 1,025 pieces of rolling stock, 17,850 pieces of non-rolling stock, 8,807 personnel and tore down 423 buildings.

Now, roughly a little more than 70 Soldiers from the division remain in Afghanistan to assist in the Train Advise and Assist Command - South mission.

"We're very proud of the 1st Cavalry Division and all that they've accomplished in Afghanistan and continue to accomplish," said Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, commanding general, III Corps and Fort Hood.

"They still have a fair amount of tactical infrastructure that they need to tear down and reduce, and the team that they left behind are first rate and will do us proud as they take the mission over there and set the conditions for Operation Resolute Support," MacFarland added.

The remaining deployed division headquarters Soldiers are under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Douglas Gabram, the division's deputy commanding general-support. The division's deputy commanding general-maneuver, Brig. Gen. Viet Luong, will take command of TAAC-S later this year.