U.S. soldiers from the 36th Infantry Division will be deployed to Afghanistan 13001172

Defense & Security News - United States
 
U.S. soldiers from the 36th Infantry Division will be deployed to Afghanistan.
U.S. soldiers of the 36th Infantry Division, their families, and their friends gathered for a ceremony at Cameron Field at Fort Hood, Texas, on January 28, 2017, to send off “Task Force Arrowhead” as they deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The Austin-based unit is part of the Texas Army National Guard and is headquartered at Camp Mabry.
     
U.S. soldiers of the 36th Infantry Division, their families, and their friends gathered for a ceremony at Cameron Field at Fort Hood, Texas, on January 28, 2017, to send off “Task Force Arrowhead” as they deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The Austin-based unit is part of the Texas Army National Guard and is headquartered at Camp Mabry. The 36th Infantry Division Colorguard renders traditional military honors of the U.S., Texas and division flags during a deployment ceremony Jan 28, at Cameron Field on Fort Hood, Texas. More than 50 service members form a second group of Task Force Arrowhead advisors deploying to Afghanistan to take responsibility of the Train, Advise and Assist Command
     
The detachment of over 50 experienced officers, warrant officers and senior enlisted T-Patchers will be replacing the current Train Assist and Advise Command group, also from the 36th Inf. Div., who deployed last year.

In 2014, the regional commands transitioned to a Train, Advise and Assist Command (TAAC) structure, advising Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to promote the long-term success of these institutions and the sovereignty of the Afghan government. Two-thirds of the Soldiers will be deploying to Afghanistan; the rest of the service members will mobilize but remain stateside. Those remaining in Austin will serve as intelligence analysts and advisors to those deployed. The remote capability is made possible by the advances in today's modern combat technology and communications systems.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kirk A. Burns, who is deploying with the task force, explained that the group is comprised of experienced service members who have been chosen from across the whole division. They are both civilian and military experts in their fields: law enforcement; legal advisors; medical staff; aviation operations; and computer systems.
 
As a civilian, Burns works for the Texas Department of Public Safety's Cyber Security division and as a computer science professor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. In the Army National Guard he is a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot and tactical operations aviation officer. This will be his fourth overseas deployment, having served in Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kuwait, and now Afghanistan.
 
At the ceremony, Maj. Gen. Lester Simpson, Commanding General of the 36th Inf. Div., thanked the citizen-Soldiers for their service to Texas and our nation. He also thanked their families for their support, and continued sacrifice as their loved ones are called upon to serve overseas.