Thirty-two Soldiers from A Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery, returned to Fort Sill after a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan.
The Lawton-Fort Sill community welcomed them home Oct.17, with cheers and tears of joy during a ceremony at Rinehart Fitness Center.
In his invocation, Chaplain (Capt.) James Roberts, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery, said: "Gracious God, we pray to you and thank you for the safe return of our Soldiers. Your grace and protection are wonderful and your mercy is everlasting. We honor and praise these faithful servants and Soldiers for their personal sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families and loved ones. Their patriotism and love of their fellow Soldier is a wonderful gift to our nation and is one of our great sources of national strength."
Col. Nathan Cook, 75th Field Artillery Brigade commander, welcomed home his Soldiers.
"What a great job Alpha Battery," Cook said, "you certainly represented yourselves, represented this unit, represented the Army with distinction in performing a critical field artillery mission."
Now the returning Soldiers have a new mission -- integrating back into their families, Cook said.
"Take time and have fun with your families," he said to the formation. "Welcome home!"
MISSION
The deployment was a battery-level mission for a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) unit in Afghanistan as part of Operation Freedom Sentinel, said Lt. Col. Pete Sittenauer, 1-14th FA commander.
It was a quick-notice deployment for the battery which first heard about it late last fall, but they were ready in less than two months, Sittenauer said. That's part of the HIMARS weapons system capability -- to be rapidly deployed.
"They performed an absolutely phenomenal mission," the lieutenant colonel said about their mission success.
Sittenauer added the 1-4th FA's B Battery is still deployed in Kuwait supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
First Lt. Robert McFarland, A/1-14th FA executive officer, said the unit provided field artillery support to Coalition troops on the ground. They also worked with U.S. Airmen and Sailors.
McFarland said several of his Soldiers had children born here during the deployment. At their base, some Soldiers witnessed their children's births through Web streaming.
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