The 155th Armored Brigade is ready to be sent off to The Middle East

June 9, 2018

FORT BLISS, Tex. (WCBI) -For the last two days, we at WCBI have covered the preparations for the sendoff of the 155th Armored Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas.

From soldiers experiencing their first deployment to soldiers who have already tasted the battlefield, it all comes down to one question.

Are they ready?

It’s fair to ask the question if the brigade is ready for this mission, but it’s clear they are.

A ceremony this morning was to commemorate the 155th’s past and also prepare the brigade for the future, this deployment.

Flags from every regiment and battalion of the 155th were seen on the parade field at Fort Bliss, preparing to be shipped off.

“We’re very proud of what this formation is about to go do,” said Major General Janson Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi.

The ceremony held Saturday morning had two meanings for the 155, honoring the past and the future.

For the past, the brigade was honored with commendations from the navy.

“This naval unit citation is a citation they earned in 2005 when they went to Iraq, before we really had that adventure under control,” said Boyles. “They went into harms way, not knowing what the outcome would be.”

This citation is rare for an army unit, but in ’04 the 155 was under the command of the marines, giving the brigade the opportunity to receive this well-deserved honor.

“I lost five American soldiers, had over 40 wounded,” said retired Brigadier General Gary Huffman, former commanding officer of the 2-114th Field Artillery Regiment. “The disruption to their civilian careers, their civilian jobs, their family lives, this is a significant emotional event for those people who earned this naval unit citation.”

“That was really the first time we had been deployed in a long time,” said Lieutenant Colonel Rodney Bowman, current commanding officer of the 2-114th Field Artillery Regiment. “We went over there in a hostile environment and did really well, you know, and lost a lot of soldiers over there, so it was a great honor to come back 13 years later and receive this award that we put on our colors and our streamers.”

Among the guest speakers was Representative Trent Kelly, a Brigadier General of the 155.

“This is my brigade, so I served on this brigade from 1985 until 2010. I was a part of that deployment and every other deployment going back to 1980. So it’s very important to recognize the history and to recognize those who fought and died in this brigade,” Kelly said.

“Really I will say established the 155 for this generation, which is why they’ve dialed our number again to do this rotation,” added Boyles.

That brought us to the second part of the ceremony.

Each regiment and battalion performed a casing of the colors, a sign the brigade is ready to go overseas.

“…where we case the colors here on the parade field, as this formation is getting ready to move down-range to protecting this great country of ours,” said retired Major General, Augustus Collins, former commander of the 155th.

“The colors will move with the brigade commander and the brigade sergeant major to the theater of operations and will be unfurled in the theater,” said Huffman.

With flags wrapped and soldiers trained, leaders of the Dixie Thunder, both past and present have no doubt this brigade is ready.

“Every day, they’ve learned something new,” said Collins,” and they’ve gained confidence in themselves and their fellow soldiers to where now they are ready to go forward and they feel like they will do a great job.”

“I’ve been in the brigade almost 28 years, and I will tell you this is probably the most ready I’ve ever seen the 155th ABCT,” said Bowman.

And Boyles said, with a stern look in his eyes, “They’ll make us proud, they’ll make Mississippi proud, they’ll make the Army proud, they’ll make America proud.”

Inspiring words from inspiring leaders.

Now, we send these men and women off with our thoughts and prayers they serve our country proudly and make it home safely.