FORT HOOD, Texas - Standing on Cooper Field here, 20 Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division military intelligence section received awards Sept. 3 for their actions that helped their fellow Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan.
"Most of all of us that are getting the award today were deployed down range," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Trotta, an intelligence analyst with the 1st Cav. Div. "So we came directly from being deployed to going into helping the people who are still out there deployed."
The Soldiers within the First Team's military intelligence section, or "G2", returned from Afghanistan to their Families in October, but their mission didn't stop when they got back stateside.
"Every day we prepared briefs and other pieces of intelligence to support the war fighters down range," said Trotta, a native of Livingston Manor, New York.
The program allows units deployed to Afghanistan to reach back to the intelligence community in the U.S.
"So for every one deployed Soldier, there are 14 Soldiers back in garrison helping," said Lt. Col. Matt Gill, officer in charge of the 1st Cav. Div. military intelligence section.
Since their return, the Soldiers have been working nights and weekends to provide their services to their comrades. The Soldiers work with their deployed counterparts in the intelligence community, providing help from afar by taking some of the work load.
"The 1st Cav. reach back actually produced hundreds of finished intelligence products over the span of the year," said Gill, a native of Fort Worth, Texas. "Now that number may not seem significant, but you are talking about the quality of the product and the in-depth nature of the product; these aren't products you turn out on an everyday basis."
The award ceremony signified the end of the reach back mission for the division's G2 and the return to garrison life.
"There's relief, but I miss the mission since I enjoy what I do, and I know we still have Soldiers down range," said Cpl. Taylor Caver, an intelligence analyst with 1st Cav. Div. and native of Corona, California. "Granted, they are not 1st Cav., but they are still our brothers and sisters, so a part of me misses doing the job with them."
Social Sharing