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Fort Hood Press Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 23, 2012 12:42:56 PM CDT

Cav HQ returns from Afghanistan

Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, the command sergeant major of the 1st Cavalry Division, adds the Operation Enduring Freedom campaign ribbon to the division’s colors April 20 on Cooper Field. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne, 1st Cav Div Public Affairs.)

FORT HOOD, Texas - Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, the command sergeant major of the 1st Cavalry Division, adds the Operation Enduring Freedom campaign ribbon to the division’s colors April 20 on Cooper Field. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne, 1st Cav Div Public Affairs.)

 
By Sgt. Kim Browne
HQ, 1st Cav. Div. PAO
 

FORT HOOD, Texas –The 1st Cavalry Division’s Cooper Field has seen many ceremonies over the years. From changes of command to retirements but this ceremony marks an historical event for the division.

Troopers from the Cav headquarters returned from their first deployment in Afghanistan after a year, April 20, to Cooper Field.

Uncasing the division’s colors was their first order of duty, to show the First Team’s Headquarters was back home but the order to “charge” was shortly thereafter.

For the commander to yell “charge” signified to the families and the returning Soldiers to reunite again after their year apart.

“It’s great to be reunited with the family,” said Lt. Col. Chad Carroll, the public affairs officer for the division. “It was a good deployment, made a lot of great progress out there but it’s always great to be home.”

While deployed, the division was in charge of Regional Command-East, also known as Combined Joint Task Force-1. RC-East covers 14 Afghan provinces, roughly the size of the state of Ohio, with 450 miles of border with Pakistan.

They also oversaw the actions and campaigns of 31,000 Coalition Forces Soldiers from 13 nations.

RC-East had many successes over the year while under CJTF-1.

Operations such as Hammer Down and Hammer Down II disrupted insurgent operations and also continued the expansion of Afghan National Security Forces capabilities.

Operation Knife Edge also occurred under the watch of the division.

Knife Edge consisted of Afghan Security Forces and their NATO allies pushing against and reducing the Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network along the troubled Pakistani border.

CJTF-1’s primary mission in Afghanistan was to provide security, governance and development for the people of RC-East.

14 Provincial Reconstruction Teams also fell within RC-East. The PRT objectives are to extend the authority of the Afghan central government, and to facilitate reconstruction.

Transitioning securities from Coalition Forces to Afghan Forces was also a work-in-progress for RC-East.

Within the year they transitioned the entire provinces of Bamyan and Panjshir, Parwan Province transitioned except for two districts. Several major districts and cities transitioned to Afghan forces including; Mehter Lam, the capital city of Laghman Province - Jalalabad, the capital city of Nangahar Province - and Surobi District, Kabul Province.

“The Afghan Security Forces are much more capable now then they were a year ago,” said Maj. Gen. Daniel Allyn, the commanding general of the 1st Cav. “They get stronger every single day and are very confident of their capabilities. And they are capable of defeating the insurgents and enemies of Afghanistan.”

The command also had individual Soldier accomplishments as well as hardships.

Nine Soldiers were awarded Silver Star Medals and 43 Bronze Star Medals with Valor devices while under CJTF-1. However, there were more than 1,200 Purple Heart Medals earned.

"We've completed our mission in Afghanistan and we're ready to start the next leg of the journey," Allyn said.

Maj. Gen. Daniel Allyn, the commanding general for the 1st Cavalry Division, uncases the division’s colors on Cooper Field after returning home to Fort Hood April 20, from a year deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne)

FORT HOOD, Texas - Maj. Gen. Daniel Allyn, the commanding general for the 1st Cavalry Division, uncases the division’s colors on Cooper Field after returning home to Fort Hood April 20, from a year deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne)

 

The children of Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, the command sergeant major of the 1st Cav. Div., run out to embrace him after receiving the command to “charge” from the III Corps commander, April 20, on Cooper Field.

FORT HOOD, Texas - The children of Command Sgt. Maj. Isaia Vimoto, the command sergeant major of the 1st Cav. Div., run out to embrace him after receiving the command to “charge” from the III Corps commander, April 20, on Cooper Field. Vimoto and the rest of the division headquarters had just returned from a year deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne)

 

Col. Daniel Hurlbut, the operations officer-in-charge for the 1st Cavalry Division, holds his son after a redeployment ceremony April 20 on Cooper Field. The division headquarters had just returned from a year deployment in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

FORT HOOD, Texas - Col. Daniel Hurlbut, the operations officer-in-charge for the 1st Cavalry Division, holds his son after a redeployment ceremony April 20 on Cooper Field. The division headquarters had just returned from a year deployment in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

 

Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky, the maneuvers general for the 1st Cavalry Division, hugs his wife and son, April 20, after a redeployment ceremony on Cooper Field. The division headquarters had just returned from a year deployment in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

FORT HOOD, Texas - Brig. Gen. Gary Volesky, the maneuvers general for the 1st Cavalry Division, hugs his wife and son, April 20, after a redeployment ceremony on Cooper Field. The division headquarters had just returned from a year deployment in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Kim Browne, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)

For more information contact:
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
(254) 287-9400
Bldg. 28000 Battalion Ave.
Fort Hood, TX 76544
[email protected]