FORT POLK, La. -- Task Force Tiger, a group of 42 Soldiers from the 162nd Infantry Brigade, returned to Fort Polk Aug. 1 after a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. During their deployment, they worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to recruit and train 1,000 Afghan national police.
Col. Mark Bertolini, commander, 162nd Inf Bde, remarked on the uniqueness of the mission.
"We normally don't deploy as a group, but as individuals," he said. "The chief of staff of the Army said we needed to help fill some of the gaps with NATO personnel."
Task Force Tiger usually trains instructors to train foreign military and police forces. The members of Task Force Tiger, as part of a shift in the normal mission, trained those police forces directly at several training sites throughout the country.
"There's an old saying that those that cannot do, teach," said Bertolini. "I'll tell you about the Tigers. We're pretty darn good teachers, but Task Force Tiger shows us that we're also doers."
Brig. Gen. Carmelo Burgio of the Italian Army was in Afghanistan with Task Force Tiger and wrote in his blog about how the trainers had impressed him. "These leaders from 'the 1-6-2' did a great job integrating into the training cadres at the sites," wrote Burgio. "They partnered with coalition and Afghan trainers and staff at the training facilities and provided their expertise and coordination to enhance the quality of the instruction provided to the Afghans. These Soldiers were pioneers during the major expansion of the police training mission."
The Soldiers of Task Force Tiger have returned to Fort Polk with direct experience in training police in Afghanistan, which will be used when training others heading into theater. Lt. Col. Albert Abbadessa, 162nd Inf Bde, highlighted the training advantage this will bring to Fort Polk.
"Anyone we're sending over to Afghanistan is going to have the most topical knowledge available," said Abbadessa. "They were in training mode over there working with the police. That's obviously going to make us more up-to-date with our training here."
"Our guys who trained the mission here trained in host nation security forces hands-on," said Bertolini. "Now they come back and there's a fusion of about six percent of our numbers with recent theater experience to incorporate that into the program of instruction."
Task Force Tiger's other impressive feat was returning from theater safely, reporting not a single injury. "This is probably the crowning achievement for the brigade, to deploy this task force and bring them back safely," said Bertolini. "There were no incidents of casualties, thank God."
No one could have been happier to have Task Force Tiger back safely than the Families of the returning Soldiers who waited for them at North Fort.
Melanie McDonald anticipated her husband's, 1st Sgt. Shawn McDonald's, return, with her daughter Janae, 17. "This is our third deployment," said McDonald, "They don't get any easier, but this one was a shorter one. We missed him and we're glad he's coming home."
Shirley Sperduti waited with her daughters, Kayla and Jaden, for Sgt. 1st Class Terry Sperduti. Like the McDonalds, this was not their first deployment. "It hasn't been too bad," Sperduti said. "We're used to deployments by now. Six months we can do with our eyes closed. It's better than 16 months any day."
As evening fell, the bus arrived and the Soldiers disembarked, completing their six-month odyssey. They filed into the building where the Families waited and stood at attention when the brief ceremony commenced.
"Nothing's going to stand between you and Task Force Tiger," Bertolini told the crowd of Families at the redeployment ceremony. "An outstanding job by every single measure possible, this task force completed its mission flawlessly and now they're back."
For William and Pat Buckley, in-laws of Lt. Scott Reed, the homecoming represented the fulfillment of a missed opportunity. "We missed this with our son," said Pat Buckley. "He was in the Navy, so when he came home he was always on the West or East Coast and we never got a chance to greet him."
Capt. Steve Kwon was also getting a second chance with his homecoming. His wife, Annprin, is due to give birth to their second son."I think it's great to see my second son born," said Kwon. "I missed my first son because of deployment, so this is extra special."
Annprin Kwon, experiencing the first pangs of impending labor at the ceremony, made the decision to see her husband before heading to the hospital. "It's probably tonight, no joke," she said, explaining how she would try not to let the birth derail her plans with her husband. "We're going to go home to eat because I won't be able to eat until after I give birth. I'm hungry and I would like to eat a meal at home with my husband before I go to the hospital."
In addition to feeling the relief of being home in time for his second son's birth, Capt. Kwon was pleased with how the mission went. "We feel that our task force did a great job with the police for the six months that we were there," said Kwon. "This is a very prosperous time for Afghanistan. I'm very excited for them right now."
"For Afghanistan, this is the way ahead," said Bertolini. "Having Task Force Tiger over there is an exit strategy."
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