101st Airborne Division
Fort Campbell, KY – More than 100 Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) will return to Fort Campbell from their deployment to Djibouti. A welcome-home ceremony is scheduled for the afternoon of March 28th, 2019 at Fort Campbell’s Hangar 3.
These “Blue Spader” Soldiers were deployed to Djibouti from October 2018 through March 2019. There, the Soldiers made up elements of the East African Response Force. The EARF, under the command and control of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, provides a combat-ready rapid deployment capability to support crises operations in the U.S. Africa Command Area of Responsibility.
In January, 2019, it demonstrated its rapid response capabilities, deploying to Libreville, Gabon in support of potential unrest in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Upon arrival in Gabon, the EARF Soldiers established contact with the U.S. embassies in Gabon and the DRC, as well as with the Gabonese Republican Guard and emergency medical personnel.
After several weeks monitoring the situation in the DRC and because anticipated violence did not occur, the EARF redeployed to Camp Lemonnier to stand by for the next rapid response request.
“I am glad to be a part of this mission as it is unlike anything I have done previously,” said U.S. Army Capt. Connor McCarthy, the commander of B. Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, “Essentially, our company [was] able to be the primary response force for the majority of the African continent.”
2nd Brigade Combat Team, “Strike,” is the 101st Airborne Division’s Regionally Aligned Force supporting U.S. Army Africa events and exercises across the African continent this year.
Flight times are subject to change.
Media will need to arrive early on the day of the event to complete security screening, which is done at the Gate 4 Visitor Center.
For those unable to attend the ceremony, photos will be available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/2nd-bct_101st-abn-div/
