On 23 December 2002, the 21st Military Police Company (Airborne) walked off a civilian chartered airplane returning from a successful deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit fell under 3rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division for the deployment to Afghanistan but upon our return fell back under the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) while at Fort Bragg, NC. My duty position was the junior Operation Sergeant for the unit consisting of 179 paratroopers. As I walked off the airplane, I assisted the First Sergeant with organizing the Soldiers into formation. The Brigade Commander met us at the bottom of the airplane and took our Company Commander aside to brief him on something. I continued to look in the direction of the conversation and I could tell by my commanders body language it was something that was going to affect the unit. As we began to march towards the pack sheds for the welcome home ceremony the commander told me to get all the leadership together after the ceremony so the Brigade Commander could talk to us. Once the ceremony was over I told all the key leadership to meet on the other side of the pack shed in 15 minute for a meeting. I walked over to the other side to identify the meeting place and the Brigade Commander and Command Sergeant Major were already there. I could tell by their facial expressions that they were going to tell us something about another deployment. As I walked up to them I said Where are we going now? and they responded with Iraq. I immediately knew that if they wanted to talk to us now that we were leaving soon. I stood there quietly looking at the ground numb waiting for the leadership to all arrive. The leadership arrived and the Brigade Commander started to tell us that the 503d Military Police Battalion (Airborne), the 65th Military Police Company (Airborne), and the 108th Military Police Company (Airborne) were deploying in March to support the invasion of Iraq.
Preparation For Deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom II
2006
11 pages
Report
No indication
English