Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, are greeted by leadership Nov. 16, 2016, as they disembark a plane at the Arrival/Departure Air Control Group, returning home from a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan.
“(The Soldiers) have performed magnificently in some very complex missions and situations. Most importantly, we brought everyone home …”
— Col. Matthew Cody
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Col. Matthew Cody, commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Sammy Sparger uncase the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, colors during a welcome home ceremony Nov. 16, 2016, at the William “Bill” Reed Special Events Center.
By Sgt. 1st Class Tre Marris
2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
Family and friends gathered at the William “Bill” Reed Special Events Center in the early morning hours Nov. 16, 2016, to welcome their loved ones from deployment. The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, command team uncased the brigade’s colors, signifying the brigade is officially home.
Col. Matthew Cody, commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Sammy Sparger led the ceremony uncasing the brigade colors as leadership teams from 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 12 Infantry Regiment; and 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment; uncased their battalion colors.
The brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of operations Freedom Sentinel and Resolute Support, but that wasn’t the extent of their mission set. Units from 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, deployed to Kosovo in support of peacekeeping operations and an unmanned aerial vehicle platoon deployed to Iraq in support of operations there.
Despite the broad mission set, Cody said it was rewarding to see the success of his Soldiers from train-up for deployment to finally getting home.
“I’m very proud of the entire organization and the accomplishments we have had up to this point,” Cody said. “(The Soldiers) have performed magnificently in some very complex missions and situations. Most importantly, we brought everyone home, which is most important to me.”
While deployed to Afghanistan, Soldiers performed over 5,000 combat missions and patrols in a broad area of the country covering Kabul, Kandahar and Helmand Province.
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Sgt. Chad Berlin embraces his daughters, Riley, left, and McKala, during a welcome home ceremony Nov. 16, 2016, at the William “Bill” Reed Special Events Center. Chad Berlin, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, returned from a nine-month deployment. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tre Marris)
“One of the most important things we did during this deployment is helped make the Afghan people and army better,” Cody said. “At times it was slow and steady, but there was continued progress. Overall, I’m very proud of the fact that our team came together despite being spread out across the country and having to face various mission sets.”
For a Soldier serving in the military, one of the most important forces available is the support force from home. Whether it is in their hometown, local friends or the spouse and children waiting at their home installation, Soldiers rely on that extra “push” from home to keep going, a fact not lost on Cody.
“I can’t thank the Families enough for their sacrifices and everything they do day in and day out to support our Soldiers,” Cody said. “We couldn’t do this without the Families’ support and that of the local community, installation and the multitude of organizations who are willing to help out. I personally want to say ‘thank you’ to them all.”