Posted on 02/25/2009 3:55:28 PM PST by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA Nearly 600 soldiers of the 40th Expeditionary Signal Brigade will be returning next week after completing a 15-month deployment to the Middle East and other areas.
Most of the battalion, which is part of the 11th Signal Brigade, left the fort in early December to provide communications network support in Iraq.
Soldiers of the battalion also served in Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan, providing communication support for Americas war on terrorism.
It is expected the soldiers will return in two groups over a period of two days, said Eric Hortin, a spokesman for the Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Signal Command (Army).
On Christmas Eve, more than 125 members of the brigades headquarters returned to the fort after completing a 15-month deployment to Iraq, where it was the senior Signal Corps unit supporting operations in that country.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, brigade commander Col. John Hildebrand, who went with his headquarters to Iraq, will relinquish command of the unit to Col. Francis Huber at a ceremony in Brown Parade Field.
The brigades 86th Signal Battalion also has served in Iraq, returning to the post in November 2007. The brigade consists of two battalions.
The brigade and its battalions have been deployed numerous times in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, since the war against terrorism began in 2001 and has been called upon to provide communications in other global hot spots, which included Somalia, East Timor and Haiti.
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
Good Old Ft Hoochie Coochie, I had lots of Ham friends there.
Great bunch.
Go Troops! Welcome home!
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