Orders Issued

For those of you who did not hear my brigade, the 1BCT, has received its orders. I am including a copy of a article about the announcement from the local newspaper, "The Leaf Chronicle." You can view the page directly at http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20091021/NEWS01/910210331/1002/1st-BCT-receives-Afghan-orders

1st BCT Receives Afghan Orders--101st brigade one of three to deploy
By JAKE LOWARY • The Leaf-Chronicle • October 21, 2009

Another 101st Airborne Division brigade is going to Afghanistan, and the Pentagon said Tuesday it's "very possible" more 101st units could be heading there as well. The Defense Department announced Tuesday the 1st Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Afghanistan in spring and summer 2010, about the same time the division headquarters heads back to Regional Command-East, where it held command for 15 months from March 2008 to May 2009. The 1st BCT's deployment involves about 3,700 soldiers. Also announced Tuesday were deployments for the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilseck, Germany, and the 2nd BCT from the 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard. Together, Tuesday's announcement covers about 11,200 soldiers. Also deploying next month will be a 200-member Marine unit specializing in the use of MV-22 Ospreys, which will deploy to Regional Command-South, based in Kandahar. The 3rd BCT, 1st BCT, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade and division command group have all received orders sending them to Afghanistan. Though orders for the 2nd and 4th BCTs and 101st Sustainment Brigade have not been released, officials at the Pentagon say it's "very possible" those units also could go to Afghanistan, where more attention and focus has been directed as combat troops begin to withdraw from Iraq. The Pentagon was cautious not to confirm or deny any rumors of deployment orders. "We can't make an assumption that they will go," said Lt. Col. Lee Packnett, "but it's very possible."

Keeping 101st intact
When the Army announced the orders for the division command group, it said the Army is trying to keep units with their divisions. "We will seek to better align the rotation of units and their headquarters for force cohesion," the release stated. Packnett said that effort is not only for the benefit of the units deployed, but also for the local populace, so they become familiar "with the Screaming Eagle patch of the 101st." Packnett said all Fort Campbell infantry units already heading to Afghanistan will be under the command of the 101st, which will take over for the 82nd Airborne Division command group, currently controlling RC-East.

The 101st CAB will be deploying to the southern part of the country, which is currently under the control of Dutch Maj. Gen. Mart De Kruif. RC-South control rotates between the Netherlands, Canada and Britain.
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The 1st BCT and 3rd BCT will replace units currently in RC-East. Packnett did not say which units would be replaced by the 101st units.

All of the 101st's deployments are part of regularly scheduled rotations and are not part of any troop buildup being discussed in Washington.

Packnett said it's too soon to determine if the 101st will be part of any increase in troop numbers.

"Right now we can't speculate on anything," he said.

Getting ready
Maj. Gen. John Campbell, commanding general of the 101st, said in a Tuesday news release that the 1st BCT has been preparing for months to deploy to Afghanistan, a place where the brigade has yet to serve in the war on terror.

"They continue to train hard, and I have no doubt they will be prepared to face the challenges of the tough fight in Afghanistan," Campbell said.

Col. Drew Poppas, the brigade's commander, said the brigade has benefited from the previous deployments of current battalion commanders and an ongoing working relationship with units currently there.

"We're incorporating all of these lessons," Poppas said.

The tactical training the soldiers are participating in doesn't differ much from preparing for Iraq. Cultural, language and terrain training do differ, and those preparations began when Poppas took command late last year.

"We've adjusted a little bit because of the specific dynamics," Poppas said.

Poppas too said his soldiers are more than ready as they expand their preparations to larger, more complex and diverse exercises.

"We were prepared yesterday, we're prepared today just as we will be prepared tomorrow," he said.