FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), will be inactivated during a ceremony at 10 a.m. today on Sexton Field at Fort Drum, ceremonially bringing to a close nearly 10 years of history-making service.
The six subordinate battalions were first brought together in September 2004 with a specific mission, making them unique among other Army entities: to support Operation Enduring Freedom, which they would go on to do with four deployments to Afghanistan that would ultimately play a significant part in helping its people chart a course for a brighter future.
The 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment; 4th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment; 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment; 710th Brigade Support Battalion; and 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion were brought together to form the Spartans of the 3rd Bri-gade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI). They served in both Regional Command East and Regional Command South areas of responsibility, a vast area of Afghanistan encompassing approximately 124,000 square miles of rugged, frequently hostile land.
They first deployed to Afghanistan in early 2006, in support of OEF VII and VIII, where they hit the ground running, taking on the Taliban in the mountainous terrain of the Afghan-Pakistani border. Through their determined and disciplined efforts, they decisively broke the hold the enemy had on the Afghan people.
It was during this deployment that Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, of 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, earned the Medal of Honor while protecting his Soldiers from an overwhelming Taliban attack on his unit's position.
When the Spartan Brigade redeployed to Fort Drum after 16 grueling months, their heroic efforts helped them forge a lasting relationship with the Afghan people, who came to call them "the Tribe of the Crossed Swords."
In January 2009, the Spartan Brigade deployed again to Afghan-istan, returning to RC-East, where they were tasked with providing security for the Logar and Wardak provinces as well as the southern entrance to the country's capital. Through their skillful execution of counterinsurgency operations, they eliminated the Taliban's pressure on Kabul and established effective security in both provinces.
This deployment also resulted in another Spartan Brigade Soldier, Capt. William D. Swenson, being awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallant actions during an intense, six-hour-long battle with insurgents, effectively disrupting their assault.
Not long after, the Spartan Brigade found itself once again being called upon to deploy to Afghanistan. Departing in March 2011, 3rd BCT Soldiers were sent to Kandahar Province. Located in the RC-East area of responsibility, Kandahar is also the birthplace of the Taliban.
The Spartan Soldiers set about conducting both lethal and nonlethal missions to break the insurgent's grip on the province. The missions were conducted under three main operations -- "To the River," "To the Core" and "To the Summit," which maintained continuous pressure on the enemy, eventually driving them out of their place of inception. In doing so, the Spartan Brigade advanced farther south than any of the previous coalition forces before their arrival.
Spartan Soldiers also established themselves as a true force for positive change by opening 22 schools and three medical clinics, as well as securing and refurbishing more than 50 kilometers of Highway 1, the national highway for southern Afghanistan.
Through it all, the 3rd BCT built upon and reinforced their "shohna ba shohna" partnership with the Afghan security forces and government leaders. Shonha ba shonha means "shoulder to shoulder" in the Pashto language. The strengthened ties between the Spartan Brigade and their Afghan partners resulted in a marked increase in the security and governance of an area that had been at war for 30 years.
The Spartan Brigade embarked on its final deployment to Afghanistan in October 2013, not long after the announcement of their inactivation. The 3rd BCT deployed once again to RC-East, but this time, as a newly configured security force advise and assist brigade.
An SFAAB differs from a standard brigade combat team in many ways. However, the most notable differences are a considerably smaller number of personnel and the almost total emphasis placed on the utilization of several, highly specialized security force advise and assist teams, or SFAATs.
Although they deployed as a smaller contingent, they assumed responsibility for most of the provinces in the region -- among them Wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Khost, Paktia and Paktika -- thus relieving a division-size element. Once again, the Spartan Brigade was more than up to the challenge.
The Spartans partnered with the Afghan National Army's 203rd Corps, sharing their expertise, helping them to grow their capabilities as they continue to assume responsibility for the security of their nation and its people.
Through the Spartans' steadfast leadership and mentoring skills, the Afghans were able to successfully hold a grand council of leaders, also known as a Loya Jirga in Pashto, as well as the Ghazni Islamic festival, which was successfully attended by dignitaries and followers from around the world.
The Spartan Brigade also guided the Afghan security forces as they conducted their national presidential election, along with the ensuing run-off election.
The attempts made by what remained of the Taliban and the Haqqani Network terrorists to disrupt the elections were unsuccessful, a true testament to what the Spartan Brigade had accomplished as a result of their efforts and sacrifices during their final as well as their previous deployments.
With their departure from Afghanistan in July, the Spartan Brigade had achieved what no other unit had been able to accomplish to date -- defeating the Taliban insurgency and leading the Afghan security forces to victory in the southeast region of their country.
As their time comes to a close, the Spartan Brigade leaves behind a legacy of service and sacrifice that will forever be remembered by generations of people both here and abroad.
The Spartan Soldiers have accomplished every mission asked of them and more, regardless of the hardships or sacrifices it demanded.
The Spartan Brigade's motto of "With your shield or on it" was one they derived from their namesakes, the ancient warriors of Sparta. It meant Soldiers coming back from battle had only two ways to do so with their honor intact: either on their feet with their shield in hand or upon their shield, as a casualty.
The legacy the Spartan Brigade leaves behind clearly shows they have more than lived up to their motto, "With your shield or on it."
During 3rd Brigade Combat Team's final deployment ceremony, Col. Sam Whitehurst, bri-gade's last commander, made reference to the unit's namesake.
"We tend to judge our accomplishments by those of our predecessors, and the Spartan predeces- sors would be equally proud," Whitehurst said. "The future of Afghanistan is a bright one, and we are grateful to have played a part."
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