925th CBN uncases colors signaling return from Afghanistan

By Daniel P. Elkins, Mission and Installation Contracting Command Public Affairs OfficeFebruary 25, 2021

925th CBN uncases colors signaling return from Afghanistan
Lt. Col. Rickey Torres, right, and Master Sgt. Justin Pellak uncase the 925th Contracting Battalion as colors bearer Maj. Corey Griffin looks on during a ceremony Feb. 25 at Fort Drum, New York, marking the official return of the unit from its deployment to Afghanistan. Torres is the 925th CBN commander and Pellak is the battalion senior enlisted adviser. (Photo Credit: Anthony Sligar) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Feb. 25, 2021) -- Leaders from the 925th Contracting Battalion uncased their organizational colors during a ceremony today at Fort Drum, New York, signaling their unit’s official return from deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

The 925th CBN assumed command of the Regional Contracting Center-Afghanistan in May 2020 as much of the nation was in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide contracting support throughout the Combined Joint Operations Area-Afghanistan.

“It forced us to improvise how we planned for and conducted operations as our movements and contracted support were affected by national curfews, border closures and disruptions in the supply chain,” said Lt. Col. Rickey Torres, the 925th CBN commander. “However, under what has now become the new norm, 925th CBN Soldiers and Civilians were able to adapt and overcome to ensure uninterrupted support to its mission partners, proving that the Army can operate successfully despite the challenges and interference presented by COVID.”

During his remarks, Torres also reflected on the difference made by 925th CBN members in all the corners of Afghanistan where they "put their boots down” and supported the mission without questions nor hesitation.

“The focus of the 925th CBN remains forward. The Soldiers of 925th CBN are ready for the next mission at hand,” the commander said. “In these uncertain times, the only certainty is that everyone must be ready to deploy when and where the nation calls upon us because teleworking from home will not be an option.”

The 925th CBN is comprised of a headquarters and four contracting teams aligned with the 10th Mountain Division Light Infantry at Fort Drum. This marked the third combat deployment for the 925th Contracting Battalion since its activation in March 2014.

About the MICC

Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. As part of its mission, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitate training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.

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