FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Lt. Col. Matthew Moore, commander, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, retires the Company E, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, company colors June 28, during the reflagging ceremony of Company C, 3rd STB, 4th...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Company E, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, was redesignated to Company C, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 4th Inf. Div., in a reflagging ceremony June 28.

After returning to Fort Carson in March from a yearlong deployment in southern Iraq, the engineer company is integrating with the 3rd STB, to continue preparing the battalion and the brigade for future combat missions.

Lt. Col. Matthew Moore, 3rd STB commander, retired the Company E, 1st Bn., 68th Armor Reg., company colors during the ceremony, drawing a close to Company E.

“It’s a bittersweet day leaving a great battalion,” said Capt. Gregory Polk, company commander, Company C, 3rd STB.

After seven years with 1st Bn., 68th Armor Reg., and three tours in Iraq, Company E, brings skills and experience to 3rd STB, enhancing the brigade’s ability to distribute the engineers amongst its six battalions.

The company is tasked during deployments with conducting raids, searches and performing initial route clearance.

In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 2007-2009, Company E cleared the routes to the “Gold Wall” in Sadr City, fighting alongside the infantry in some of the firefights during the surge in March 2008.

Company E also removed improvised explosive devices from more than 700,000 kilometers of routes during that tour.

During Operation New Dawn, the unit cleared more than 1.5 million kilometers in southern Iraq and provided a safe route for both military and civilians.

“Having an engineer company within the (3rd STB) gives them a greater mobility and allows us to enhance the brigade’s capability to do breaching and engineer-type obstacles,” said Polk.

As Company C begins its training cycle, it will focus on organization and planning, the fundamentals of breaching and developing improved tactics in the way the 3rd BCT overcomes the enemies’ obstacles and clears the way.

Polk received the new company colors from Moore during the closing of the ceremony, signifying the official change to Company C, 3rd STB.

“It is a real honor within our company to provide a greater asset to the brigade; I am proud of that,” said Polk.