Friends and Family of the Washington Artillery,

December finally arrived and as did our replacement unit, the 1-116th Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT), Idaho Army National Guard. They immediately began the Relief in Place (RIP) Mission with all of our units with the end state being a Transfer of Authority (TOA). All of the subordinate batteries and company of the 1-141 FA BN had different TOA dates and subsequently different return dates back to Kuwait. Many of you have inquired as to why we all had different return and release dates. This was a result of the responsible drawdown of forces from 130,000 troops to 50,000 troops. The 256 IBCT assumed the mission of three brigades resulting in the battalion being spread from Tallil to Irbil, Iraq. This distribution of forces coupled with varying types of missions caused us to have different replacement training requirements resulting in different TOA dates. The weather in Iraq also caused some unforeseen delays. Therefore, we had Soldiers arriving at Camp Shelby, Mississippi from 17-23 December 2010 with all Soldiers making it home for Christmas.

This past year has been very challenging for the Soldiers of the battalion. We were all stationed in Tallil, Iraq from March through June conducting Convoy Security Missions from Tallil to Balad, Iraq. The mission required Convoy Escort Teams (CETs) of six vehicles to protect forty-five truck convoys of “eighteen-wheelers” for missions that lasted up to twelve hours of non-stop driving in full combat gear; not an easy task. The Battalion conducted a change of mission mid-way through the deployment which required them to move from Tallil to locations throughout Iraq. This was not an easy mission to accomplish because it required movement of millions of dollars of equipment as well as all of our Soldiers. In most cases, the units had to adapt to completely new missions. Alpha Battery began security missions for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). Their mission was to protect UNAMI Officials as they conducted operations throughout Baghdad. They were the only US Forces that operated in Baghdad during the day. Bravo Battery attended specialized training in the United States prior to returning to the International Zone (IZ). They worked with the Joint Counter-intelligence Unit (JCIU) which collected intelligence throughout Iraq. Their mission required them to wear civilian clothing and relaxed the grooming standard allowing them to have beards so as to look like contractors rather than military personnel. Headquarters Battery assumed the mission of the Rear Area Operations Center (RAOC) which required them to function as the garrison command for the IZ. They worked closely with the United Stated Embassy, military tenant units, contractors and the 56th Iraqi Army on all security issues within the IZ. Golf Company was the only unit that continued conducting Convoy Security Missions after departing from Tallil. They moved up to FOB Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq and re-task organized under 3-156 Infantry which is part of the 256th IBCT.

Despite the hardships encountered, the battalion knew that it had the unwavering support from the home front. The Washington Artillery Veterans Association (WAVA) was there for us whenever we needed their support. They represented the battalion well as they continued to honor our annual traditions and supported the Rear Detachment. However, we would not have been as successful as we were had it not been for the love and support of our spouses, families and friends. No matter how tough things got at times, your love and reassurance enabled us to persevere. You all did a magnificent job supporting each other and continuing with life and raising children. Simply knowing that you were home safe enabled us to get through another day. You are the hero’s of the deployment and worthy of the highest praise.

It has been my honor to serve with your Soldiers. They truly represent the best of the United States of America.

Try Us!
LTC Champagne
1-141 Field Artillery Battalion
Commanding