About 6,100 soldiers will deploy to Afghanistan and Kuwait this winter, the Army announced Thursday.
The 1st Armored Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team will deploy about 1,500 soldiers to Afghanistan.
The soldiers, from Fort Bliss, Texas, will be deployed as part of the regular rotation of forces in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, according to an Army news release.
“The Ready First Brigade is well-trained, well-led and fully prepared for the challenges this mission will bring,” Maj. Gen. Pat White, commanding general of 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, said in the release. “The brigade proved itself a disciplined and lethal force during a rigorous training program, and I am confident they will accomplish their mission in stellar fashion.”
The unit’s deployment comes just months after the brigade commander, Col. Earl Higgins Jr., was relieved of command after an investigation found “multiple violations of Army regulations and policies,” officials said in September.
Higgins, who had commanded 1st BCT since July 2015, was succeeded by Col. Eric Strong.
Also deploying to Afghanistan are about 800 soldiers from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.
The soldiers, who are stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, also will deploy as part of the regular rotation of forces in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
“The soldiers of the Raptor Brigade have worked very hard to build readiness over the last year, and I am extremely confident in their ability to accomplish our upcoming mission,” said Col. William Ryan, the commander of the 16th CAB, in a statement. “We employ some of the Army’s most advanced aviation technology, but it is our tremendous team of Army professionals that will ensure mission success.”
The Army on Thursday also announced an upcoming deployment to Kuwait.
About 3,800 soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, will deploy to Kuwait this winter, the Army announced.
The soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, will deploy to Kuwait to support the needs of the combatant commander.
“Our nation’s Army continues to call on the 1st Cavalry Division to serve across the globe. The latest to be called is our 3rd ABCT,” said Maj. Gen. John Thomson, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, who himself is deployed with the division headquarters to Afghanistan, in a statement. “Greywolf troopers have demonstrated a high level of proficiency with rigorous home-station training and a successful National Training Center rotation in October. They are prepared to execute their assigned mission for Central Command.”
The soldiers from 3rd BCT will replace those from the 1st Armored Division’s 3rd BCT, who have been deployed to Kuwait since the spring.
Charlsy Panzino covers the Guard and Reserve, training, technology, operations and features for Army Times and Air Force Times. Email her at cpanzino@militarytimes.com.
