FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Nov. 19, 2015) -- Some 20 Soldiers of D Company, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), embraced Family Members, friends and other loved ones after a welcome home ceremony Nov. 10 at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield on Fort Drum.
The unmanned aerial vehicle operators, maintainers and petroleum specialists provided reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and attack support in Afghanistan since their deployment began in February, said Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Kerry, the company's home station first sergeant. The remaining D Company Soldiers in Afghanistan and the company's colors are scheduled to return to Fort Drum within weeks.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Linenfelser, the ranking officer of the returning group, said he was proud that D Company Soldiers did well.
"I am very happy to be home, so I can spend Veterans Day with my Family," Linenfelser said. "However, I am just as happy and proud of the … Soldiers who are now veterans because of this deployment."
As one of the most-deployed units in the Army, the 10th Mountain Division has no shortage of veterans at Fort Drum. Currently, the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team and 2nd Brigade Combat Team are advising and assisting Iraqi security forces against the self-proclaimed Islamic State as part of Operation Inherent Resolve and Afghan security forces against remnants of al-Qaida and Taliban forces as part of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, respectively.
The 10th Mountain Division Soldiers have consistently and continuously earned their deployment patches and stripes by taking part in those missions.
Sgt. Lacey Sanor, UAV operator with D Company, was one of the Soldiers who earned their first deployment patch during the company's first deployment.
"It's pretty awesome that I get to spend my first Veterans Day as a vet at home," Sanor said. "I wish all vets could be home for Veterans Day."
From August to September, D Company Soldiers concurrently provided UAV support under three Army Service Component Commands on two continents.
While some Soldiers of D Company deployed to Afghanistan, another portion deployed to Korea to participate in the first Manned Unmanned Teaming operations there, Kerry said. MUM-T operations provide the recon, surveillance and target acquisition capabilities of the Gray Eagle to Army aviators in the field, and D Company was the first to implement that in Korea.
Simultaneously, D Company's Soldiers at Fort Drum provided similar support to multiple 10th CAB training exercises on the installation.
The unit's official uncasing ceremony, which symbolizes its official return, will take place when the remainder of the company returns to Fort Drum from Afghanistan, bringing all of the Soldiers together for the first time since February.
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