Fort Campbell, Ky.--The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division held a Colors Casing ceremony, signifying the unit's pending deployment to Afghanistan on Memorial Field Tuesday.
"Since 9/11, the casing of the colors has taken on a different significance," said Col. JP McGee, commander, 1st BCT. "It is a sign that America's sons and daughters are going to war."
Since 2001, the Bastogne Brigade has cased and uncased its colors for four deployments. Now they will case their colors a fifth time to return to Afghanistan to build upon the foundation of progress from past units and to make real the commitments and promises of the past 11 years.
"The men and women of the Bastogne Brigade are ready," said McGee, an Atherton, Calif., native. "We stand ready to provide certain victory in an uncertain environment.
"These colors are not ours," he continued. "They do not belong to us. They are entrusted to us for a period, and then we hand them off to our successors. It is our duty to hand over these colors, our legacy--improved upon and expanded--and this is what we will achieve in Afghanistan."
McGee said that when the unit colors are flown again in Afghanistan, many Afghans will recognize them. They will know that as the colors are unfurled, hope, progress and security will soon follow.
The brigade also took time during the ceremony to present the Meritorious Unit Commendation award to 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment and 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment.
Those units, No Slack and Bandit, received the award for their hard work and sacrifice during the 2010 to 2011 deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
"These two units fought against a savvy and determined enemy in inhospitable terrain, but these two units pushed the enemy out of key areas, enabled their Afghan partners and set the conditions for the progress we are seeing today," said McGee. "As we prepare to deploy back to Afghanistan, it is fitting we recognize the achievements of these two great units."
Col. Andrew Poppas, deputy commanding general of operations for the 101st Abn. Div., participated in the event by helping to case the regimental colors.
"Unfortunately, I'm not going with them, but they are in great hands," said Poppas. "I've known Colonel McGee for years. I know how he trains, I know how he leads, and if I were going to war, I would want to go with him."
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