Posted on 04/17/2009 4:29:48 PM PDT by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — Although a Thursday ceremony was short and simple, it was full of symbolism.
Members of the 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion stood on Thunderbird Field.
As a brisk, cool wind blew through the formation, Team 40th’s battalion commander Lt. Col. Linda Jantzen reminded the soldiers that their 15-month deployment was over. She praised them for their accomplishments while in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan.
The first symbolic act was having the rear detachment’s guidon furled and cased and marched off the field.
The rear detachment’s mission was completed. Then Jantzen and battalion Command Sgt. Maj. John Womble marched to where Spc. Logan Keenan held the cased battalion’s flag.
The battalion commander then gave the order for all the company commanders and first sergeants to uncase and unfurl the guidons of their units that had deployed.
As that was happening, Keenan lowered the staff holding the battalion’s flag as Jantzen and Womble uncased it. That symbolic act meant the 40th had returned to its home station.
After it happened, Womble said, “We’re back.”
Jantzen ended the ceremony by telling her soldiers that the battalion will start getting new equipment and once again fall into a stateside “battle rhythm” to be prepared if called upon again to deploy.
Within the next two months, all the companies will receive new commanders.
As for the battalion commander, a week from today she will turn over the 40th’s flag to a new commander, Lt. Col. Troy Douglas, at a 10 a.m. change-of-command ceremony on Brown Parade Field.
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
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