7th Division to deploy to Afghanistan
Bobo sends us the link to the news that a brigade of the Army’s newly-activated 7th Infantry Division will be deployed to Afghanistan this coming year;
“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,” Col. William A. Ryan, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade commander. “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.”
It seems like just yesterday we were writing about their reactivation.
Category: Army News
I remember the deactivation ceremony. Im glad to see this. From an old bayonet lightfighter.
“The Planet” was my first duty station. Loved it. Was on Chapparal missile system so when the 7th went Light, we got to stay there. Mostly due to BG Harrison who loved his Air Defenders. Left in 87 and the rest of the career was never as fun as Ord and the 7th.
It was my first duty station as well. Got there in Fall of ’92 and left in August ’93. I participated in the deactivation and movement. We went to the 10th after that. We never had as much fun as we did at Ord. What a place!
What battalion were you assigned to Planet? I left in the summer of ’92 from 2/9 Manchus.
Old”er” light fighter here as well.
Did they repatch?
7th ID HQ’s was reactivated a few years ago to serve as a controlling HQ for all of the FORSCOM brigades at JBLM (former Ft. Lewis).
In typical Army fashion, these units include most all of the Brigades for the 2nd Infantry Division, while the 2nd ID HQ’s remains in Korea with next to no permanently assigned units.
Yeah, we passed through JBLM back in May and I noticed that almost all of the old WWII-era wooden buildings on North Fort had been scraped off and replaced with brand new brick buildings and a completely different layout than when I was there 25 years ago. Most of the units were 2nd ID.
Seems very weird to have 2nd ID with (I think) only one active brigade under its command in Korea while the remainder of 2nd ID falls under the non-deployable 7th ID.
But I guess what it really shows is that the notion of a “division” as a fighting unit has ended – it’s all BCTs now and the only thing the Division seems to provide is a shoulder patch.
I’m not even certain that 2ID has any forces under its command at present that aren’t rotational units.
I also believe that part of the 7th ID HQ deployed recently (within last 18 months) to Afghanistan, which makes 2ID the only division HQ currently on active duty which hasn’t deployed to the GWOT, despite all of its subordinate units having gone multiple times.
2ID still controls quite a few units permanently stationed in the ROK. They just no longer have a permanent BCT under their command here. It is only BCTs that are rotating through. All other units remain.
Currently freezing my ass off on CP Hovey with 1-1ID.
I was at Hovey with 1/9 Infantry. How is it different being there on rotation vs being stationed there for a year?
Same shit, different unit numbers. Although supposedly sometime next year, Casey/Hovey is being turned over to the ROK with all forces moving to Humphreys..
Oh and Itaewon is a ghost town since they cleared the juicies out.
But at least we have a Krispy Kreme.
Wait, is Hooker Hill still there? 😀
Yeah, the most important question in this thread!
“the only thing the Division seems to provide is a shoulder patch.”
Don’t forget all those senior officer slots. The record only says they had a division command or staff position, not how big the division was was.
And the way they keep deactivating and reactivating it’s a good thing those patches use velcro.
If I remember correctly, I had two DI’s that had the combat patch from OSUT.
Both in Panama. Both with CIB’s.
Do you remember their names by any chance?
I was 7th ID (2/9) from 1989 to 1992. Combat patch and CIB as well from Panama.
SSG/SFC Addie and Hernandez
Green Thumb,
I don’t recognize Addie. I went through OSUT with a Hernandez who went to 7th ID with me. I don’t know if he stayed in but if you knew him as a SFC then it would have to be mid 2000’ish (2006 – 2008?) when he was a drill instructor. Any chance that was the the timing?Maybe not. I realize there were multiple Hernandez’s of course. Small Army sometimes though. 🙂
1998.
OldManchu:
When I was a company commander, my Bn CDR had a 7th ID combat patch from Panama – Bill Burleson. I don’t know what battalion he was in, but I think he was a platoon leader at the time.
Great leader. Would follow him into combat again any time.
Wow that name sounds soooo bell ringing familiar but “NCO” rings right along with it. I’m sorry I don’t remember an officer by that name. Thanks for the reply.
OldManchu, I’ll check my records, but I went through ROTC in 1998 with a guy with a 7ID combat patch from Panama, but no CIB. I forget his MOS. Big, loud, goofy guy from Savannah, GA. Last time I saw him he was a butter bar waiting for OCS in 1999. Hell, I don’t even know which branch he was in. I’ll check my records though.
Oooh that’d be fun if you come up with the name.
How long were you in the 10th? I have a former squad leader form the Ord days who is now a Brigade Sargent Major. Parker.
Go Bayonets!
This was my old man’s DIV in Korea.
It really is a small military. In casual conversation with a complete stranger at a party, I mentioned my Navy affiliation. So he says something along the lines of, “Navy. Hmmm. Do you know so-and-so?”
And I did.
On a personal note, MCPO, I emailed my old platoon leader in Vietnam (67-68), a 1st Lt at the time, that my SF son was promoted to SFC (E-7). He replied that his son was also just promoted (US Navy) to E-7, Chief PO.
Thought you’d like to know that we have some good people out there.
So he is a Genuine CPO. Being a Genuine and Initiated CPO in a sea service is a big deal. We are leaders and technical experts who are expected to take command in absence of a senior. We make decisions whether deck plate level or for the CO.
Phony CPO’s …. that is another story all together.
Congrats to your SF son as well.
How the hell to you soldiers keep track of what outfit belongs to what HQ? SecDef really bitched things (in the 50’s?) when the old army div’s/regt’s with glorious and honorable histories were changed/done away with. Semper Fi.
The answer is you don’t even try. As I said above, all the “division” really means anymore is what SSI (shoulder patch) you wear.
My last time in Germany (PCSd in 92) we switched patches 3 times during my last 12 months – 72nd FA Bde, 41st FA Bde and 3rd ID.
Remember, we didn’t have velcro shoulders back then….
I had a brush with the 7th Division headquarters a few years back, 2005/06, when they were assigned to Fort Carson. Went into division headquarters, roamed the halls and couldn’t find a soul who seemed to know what the purpose of their existence was. Supposedly they had a division surgeon but after three hours or so of searching for what I finally realized must be a fictitious address, I gave up.
They were a ghost outfit.
Was the Army keeping this paper division in the wings to be implemented in just such a situation as this?
Poe, my bet is on that Division Surgeon really being a Physician’s Assistant Warrant Officer./smile
Which meant tracking him down even with a real address would have been an exercise in futility.
God’s speed and safe return American Soldiers!
On that note, just what are these people going to do in that shithole? I really don’t get it. I would be fine with it if the US military had a remote section of the place that was miles from a road, miles from the nearest village, with a/c ingress and egress only. What are we doing there now?
Hey look Bow Berghdal has a CIB but isn’t wearing his Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Isn’t that weird? Think Obama will pardon him? Experts say no but we know how the experts got the election wrong too.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/12/13/pardon-bowe-bergdahl-unlikely-experts-say.html
I guess he has a lot of good conduct medals too. Yet they say he misbehaved before the enemy. If he’s convicted I guess they will have to take back those good conduct medals?
Do the Taliban issue medals?
Seems to me he should wear those instead.
Especially when his neck gets stretched.
IIRC the punishment for a Big Chicken Dinner (Bad Conduct Discharge) would normally include being stripped of all awards as well as being reduced in rank to E-1.
As far as pardoning Bergdahl goes, from Obama’s perspective, what’s in it for him? It’s not like Bergdahl has a huge network of supporters out there writing checks to the DNC.
The only reason to pardon Bergdahl would be to stick a finger in DJT’s eye before he takes office and while that sort of thing is not unheard of in the political world, I don’t know that it’s likely.
Hillary may well get a pardon from Obama before he leaves office but that would be because her family and friends write a LOT of checks to the DNC.
The Bergdahls are pretty small fish. My guess is that the government lets him plead to a lesser charge and gets out with a BCD. I doubt he’ll do any time.
The 16th CAB is a subordinate unit of 7ID HQ, but they don’t wear the 7ID path, they have their own winged-dagger patch with the big dipper on it. So this is a little misleading, much like the SBCTs at Lewis who have deployed many times, I don’t think anyone is getting a 7th ID SSI-FWTS out of this deployment.
Man we need to clean this mess up. It would make a lot more sense to have 7ID HQ in Korea and the entirety of 2ID at Lewis. But what do I know?