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Unit rotation
goes smoothly

THE second week in February brought the rest of Echo Troop to the patrol base. We finished out our rotation with the new unit by week's end. Key leaders stayed at the patrol base throughout the week to continue the smooth transition between units.

Our platoon leaders and platoon sergeants continued to work with their platoons to establish solid standing operating procedures.

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COURTESY DEREK BIRD A joint effort of A Company and Echo Troop was able to open the middle school in Bajawan. Officials cut the ribbon to the new school.

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Feb. 8 » E Troop along with key leaders from A Company detain a man suspected of weapons trafficking and placing roadside explosives.

A few minutes after their soldiers dismounted from the vehicles, the objective was secure and the suspect was in custody. A search of the suspect's residence was conducted and he was taken to the police station for further questioning.

This is the first raid in Kirkuk for Echo Troop, so we used the commander, myself and our platoon leaders to assist them in the planning and execution of the operation. They had performed similar operations in southern Iraq, so we were mostly refining their standing operating procedures.

The rest of the week was spent introducing the new leadership to city officials and other contacts we have been working with over the last year.

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ROBERT JENNINGS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN A Company soldiers move into temporary housing as they await their flights out of Iraq.

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Feb. 12, 11 a.m. » I rolled out of Gator Base for the last time. As my vehicle passed the mural of Staff Sgt. Todd Nunes, memories of the last year started coming back -- memories of the soldiers that didn't complete the entire year because of injuries. I remembered not only the soldiers of A Company, but Pfc. John Amos of C Company killed last April, and Staff Sgt. Santiago Frias and Staff Sgt. Timothy Pollock of B Company injured in an ambush last March.

Feb. 12, 1:30 p.m. » The transfer of authority ceremony has begun. This ceremony marks the transfer of authority of the Kirkuk province from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team from Schofield Barracks to the 116th Brigade Combat Team from the Idaho National Guard.

Feb. 12, 1:42 p.m. » The Battalion Colors are retired and cased. This marks the official transfer. A Company, the Gimlets, and the Warrior Brigade have been officially relieved in place.

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ROBERT JENNINGS / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN Lt. Col. Mark Dewhurst and Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur Padilla cased the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, colors as a symbol of relinquishing their authority of Kirkuk during a ceremony held yesterday in Iraq.

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Even though I am looking forward to returning to the United States, a piece of me will always stay here in Kirkuk. I made a lot of friends -- friends such as the outstanding team of interpreters we assembled to complete our mission; friends such as the police officers and Iraqi army we mentored and worked with; friends such as the village leaders we helped with infrastructure rebuilding and project completion.

But most of all, I will miss the bond we have been able to establish within A Company. I feel like the proud father of the 156 soldiers that I had the privilege of leading through this year-long deployment. The soldiers of A Company and Kirkuk will always have a place in my mind and heart.

We will be staging throughout the next week to return to Hawaii. Flights are leaving daily with soldiers from all the units deployed. Some soldiers have already returned safely.

My last Soldier Story column will be on Feb. 27. I will not be writing next weekend because we are scheduled to return sometime then. But like I have been saying since they started talking about redeployment, "I'll believe I'm home when I smell the sweet scent of plumerias."

God bless and aloha.

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