4ID begins second deployment to Iraq
By Staff Sgt. Brent A. Hunt
October 31, 2005
FORT HOOD, TEXAS (Army News Service, Oct. 31, 2005) -- Marking the official beginning of the 4th Infantry Division's deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Soldiers of the "Ivy" Division cased their colors at a ceremony on Fort Hood's Cameron Field Oct. 28.
Although 470 Soldiers from the division's Support Brigade have already made their way to the troubled region to set up beans and bullets for the incoming troops, the rest of the division's 20,500 Soldiers are scheduled to hit ground through the rest of this year.
"Only 580 days ago, you (the 4th Inf. Div.) cased your first colors when you went to Iraq, yet here we are again," said Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz, commanding general of III Corps and Fort Hood. "You have a tough job ahead of you with a tough and nasty insurgency. I can assure you that the enemy knows the 4th Infantry Division is back in town."
Last time, Sunni Triangle
During the division's first OIF deployment in April 2003, the headquarters was established in Tikrit, Iraq, and the division's brigades were located over a large area in the "Sunni Triangle." The 4th ID conducted 11 major division-level operations, which led to the capture of the then-most-wanted man in the world, Saddam Hussein.
This time around, instead of being focused on, among many things, a regime change, Soldiers will be tasked with creating a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people to form a democratic government, training an Iraqi army and police force to be able to protect themselves and to destroy an influx of terrorists pouring in from neighboring countries dedicated to disrupting the growth of democracy in the Middle East.
This time, to train Iraqis
"Our main goal is to train the Iraqi forces, so they can take care of their own security," said Maj. Gen. J.D. Thurman, commanding general of the 4th Inf. Div. "I believe the Iraqi people will prevail with the help of our American Soldiers, coalition forces, Marines, the Air Force and the Navy, because they are doing a great job over there.
"I expect a lot out of the Iraqi forces," added Thurman. "We are there to help them and they have to take the lead. Everything we do will have Iraqi's in the lead. We want them to be successful, and we will help them be successful but they have to take command."
Division reset into modular BCTs
The division has been extremely busy between deployments. It has prepared 71,000 pieces of equipment in tip-top condition, became the Army's newest modular division, added a Brigade Combat Team and have been the testing ground for some of the military's most high-tech equipment.
In addition, they have trained for months at "combat-speed" by honing their combat skills, dealing with terrorists in an urban setting, negotiating with the locals, dealing with an international media contingency and planning for every conceivable scenario the division might encounter. To add, they have just finished back-to-back-to-back National Training Center rotations in the heat of California's Mojave Desert.
Many veterans of Iraq still with 4ID
"I feel more at ease this time, because I know what's going to happen," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Dukes, operations sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd BCT, who was with the division the first time it deployed to Iraq. "A lot of Soldiers look up to me, because I have combat experience. I try to instill that the training we do is very important, because it could save your life when we are in Iraq."
Although the division returns to the desert with more than 50 percent of its personnel with combat experience, many Soldiers have never seen combat action and have mixed feelings.
"I'm nervous about going to Iraq, but a little excited," said Spc. John Lewis, health care specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Bn., 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th BCT. "Today's ceremony was really moving and it signified the ending here and the beginning of a new life, for a year, when the colors are uncased in Iraq."
Thurman: U.S. must win for grandchildren
Even though the packed crowd of Soldiers, family members and local leaders from the Central Texas community expressed some sadness, they showed a lot of pride in the division, which traces its history to 1917, from World War I to the War on Terrorism.
"I feel the mission will be accomplished when I bring every one of these Soldiers back," said Thurman. "I believe that this mission is important, because I don't want my grandchildren worrying about someone blowing up a mall while they are there. We have to finish this Global War on Terrorism.
"We don't have a choice whether we are successful in this Global War on Terrorism," added Thurman. "We must be successful. The important thing is to never forget what happened on Sept. 11.
(Staff Sgt. Brent A. Hunt serves with the 1st BCT, 4th ID Public Affairs.)
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