Replies

Here's the story from Ft. Riley...

Deployment Ceremony to be held at Bramlage Coliseum
12/23/2004 10:37:51 AM

A deployment ceremony will be held Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan for approximately 3,500 Soldiers. The Soldiers are with the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

This is 3rd Brigade's second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade completed a one-year deployment in March 2004.

This is the first rotation to Iraq for the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor.

The ceremony will include a formation and remarks by post officials, including Maj. Gen. Dennis Hardy, commanding general, 24th Infantry Division (Mech) and Fort Riley, and Col. David Bishop, commander, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

The Sergeant Major of the Army, Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Preston, plans to attend the ceremony.

The ceremony is open to the public. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. No helium balloons, wrapped gifts, outside food or drinks will be allowed.

Those wishing to attend should allow adequate time to enter the coliseum. The Kansas State University Campus Police and the Riley County Police Department will search purses, bags and gifts.

In order to confirm media accommodations, all media wishing to attend the ceremony must R.S.V.P. to the Fort Riley Public Affairs Office by noon Jan. 4. The Public Affairs Office will make arrangements with Kansas State University for media.

Media will need to report to the southwest entrance of Bramlage, by the Ticket Window, by 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, to be credentialed and take part in the media briefing. Law enforcement officials will inspect media bags.

I heard about this on the one of the local radio stations last week. I don't know if the soldiers will be going to it, or if their unit will go. I wish I could have stayed longer to attend, but we had to be home by Monday. They just started wearing their desert uniforms today, they're kind of on half days because all their stuff is being shipped over. They're running out of things to do. Her room is scheduled to be packed up on the 24th.

About half her platoon was to Iraq on the first tour.