U.S. Troops Still Deploying to Iraq, Even as Afghan War Ends

FORT CARSON, Colo. — A taut enactment of soldiers crossed the sprawling Army post’s parade crushed successful the afternoon, hoisting flags draped with a rainbow of streamers from past deployments: Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, Germany, France, Civil War battles and adjacent skirmishes with Plains tribes connected horseback.

“Present colors!” a sergeant yelled. The soldiers turned and dipped the flags toward their commanding colonel, who stepped guardant and cautiously wrapped each 1 successful camouflage sleeves.

At that precise infinitesimal — 1:29 p.m. Mountain clip connected Aug. 30 —  the past U.S. subject level was taking disconnected from the Kabul airdrome successful Afghanistan.

American flags crossed the state had been lowered to half-staff to grant 13 American troops who were killed determination by a termination bomber. And astatine the beforehand gross of Fort Carson, a radical of women were mounting retired 13 pairs of boots and 13 acold Bud Lights arsenic a memorial.

But the ceremonial connected the parade crushed was not marking the extremity of America’s warfare successful Afghanistan. The Fourth Infantry Division’s First Stryker Brigade was wrapping its flags to people the opening of its latest deployment. It was going backmost to Iraq.

Though the ngo whitethorn person dropped from nationalist attention, the United States inactive has boots connected the crushed successful the different federation it invaded successful the aftermath of 9/11. About 2,500 American troops are successful Iraq now, the embers of what was erstwhile a scorching and divisive war, present cautiously scattered to support a fewer strategical bases. For the adjacent 9 months, astir 2,000 soldiers from First Brigade volition instrumentality implicit overmuch of that duty.

The deployment is the latest successful a agelong enactment for the unit, whose ranks are present made up mostly of soldiers who were toddlers erstwhile the United States invaded. In their view, warfare successful overseas lands is not a finite, momentous lawsuit but alternatively a continuing world — a task that astir apt volition ever beryllium determination successful request of volunteers.

The brigade’s archetypal deployment to Iraq successful 2003 culminated successful the seizure of the country’s fugitive dictator, Saddam Hussein, whom soldiers pulled from a spider spread successful a tiny village. The troops came location that clip to a raucous welcome, with 70,000 radical successful attendance and tributes by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jessica Simpson.

But archetypal triumph successful Iraq did not pb to peace. The brigade returned to Iraq 2006 and again successful 2008. Scores of brigade soldiers were killed arsenic the state crumbled. The fervor of the archetypal penetration faded adjacent arsenic the brigade kept deploying, including tours successful Afghanistan and Kuwait.

As First Brigade’s platoons boarded subject jets erstwhile again successful 2021, determination were nary banners on the roadside, nary bands playing. Only a fewer twelve household members and an excited orbit of children and dogs showed up for a subdued send-off.

But arsenic the young troops crowded onto the planes, mounting disconnected from a federation wearied of war, galore of their faces flickered with excitement. They walked crossed the formation enactment feeling arrogant that it was their clip to basal watch. The destiny of a nation, which the pullout from Afghanistan showed tin hinge connected conscionable a fewer 1000 troops, would present remainder successful portion connected them.

Here is simply a person look of six of the soldiers deploying.

Col. Andrew Steadman

Brigade commander, 43
Atlanta

Colonel Steadman was a lieutenant caller retired of assemblage erstwhile the World Trade Center was attacked successful 2001, and helium soon recovered himself starring a platoon of paratroopers successful Afghanistan. He has seen small remainder since.

He commanded a institution successful Iraq during the 2007 unit surge to quell increasing unrest. Then helium led a battalion backmost home. He did a stint successful formal azygous astatine the White House, keeping ever a fewer steps down President Obama, carrying a briefcase afloat of motorboat codes known arsenic the atomic football. Now helium commands a brigade combat team.

Two decades of warfare person defined his life. So helium was amazed a fewer weeks agone erstwhile his 10-year-old girl asked him, “What is Afghanistan? Why are they warring there?”

“It made maine stop,” helium said. “I realized determination are truthful galore young radical inactive learning astir the world.

“A batch of my soldiers are that way, too. They are young capable that they don’t cognize wherefore we are there, wherefore we went. Part of my occupation is to thatch them.”

Lt. Col. Joseph Mason

Chaplain, 42
Salem, Ore.

The brigade chaplain didn’t commencement retired arsenic a chaplain. He began arsenic a grunt backstage who enlisted successful 2002, erstwhile helium and his woman had a babe connected the mode and Congress was voting to o.k. the usage of unit successful Iraq. He deployed to Iraq portion his archetypal kid was inactive successful the hospital. Now helium has four.

The strength of his archetypal deployment successful 2003, helium said, forced him to question absorption and assemblage successful his Christian faith. After seeing however religion had helped him and different soldiers astatine war, helium knew helium wanted to go a chaplain.

He has seen the Army alteration implicit the years, from a unit focused connected speedy triumph to 1 girded for long, grinding fights. During that time, a plot of societal services has sprung up astir the warfare fighters to springiness them a amended accidental astatine blessed household lives, unchangeable finances and steadfast lifestyles that tin prolong them.

“One happening is for sure, aft each this clip the Army has learned however to spell to war,” Colonel Mason said. “It’s learned however to enactment soldiers, however to physique spot not conscionable physically, but done spiritual practices and supportive relationships. We cognize that soldiers can’t deploy if they don’t person the enactment of loved ones astatine home.”

First Lt. Olivia Albright

Intelligence platoon leader, 24
Okoboji, Iowa

Quiet, confident, with a blond ponytail trailing retired from her patrol cap, Lieutenant Albright lifted her rucksack and told the 20 soldiers successful her quality platoon to enactment up to deploy.

She graduated from Iowa State University summa cum laude successful 2018 with a grade successful carnal science, but alternatively of becoming a veterinarian, she decided that she needed, similar her begetter and her brother, to articulation the Army and effort to springiness backmost to her nation.

In her rucksack was a publication of meditations connected however Christians tin find delight successful their duties, and joyousness successful purpose. “That’s however I was raised, and you consciousness an work to others,” she said. “I consciousness called to serve.”

The platoon she leads is mostly men. Only astir 15 percent of the Army is pistillate — a proportionality that has hardly budged since 2001, adjacent though each combat jobs are present unfastened to women. But the communicative is antithetic among young officers: About one-third of each archetypal lieutenants present are women, suggesting that the Army enactment successful the aboriginal could look a batch much similar Lieutenant Albright.

Being a pistillate successful azygous “is not a large deal,” she said. “I’ve gotten thing but support, radical pushing maine to succeed.”

Sgt. Richard Blomer

Infantry, 28
San Diego

His great-grandfather was successful the Army. So was his grandfather. So was his father, who came location from Operation Desert Storm soon earlier helium was born. So Sergeant Blomer ne'er had galore questions astir what helium would bash for a living.

As First Brigade soldiers prepared to alert to Iraq, immoderate stuffed their rucksacks with good-luck charms, other pillows and blankets oregon books for assemblage courses they are taking portion deployed.

Not Sergeant Blomer. He isn’t seeking comfort, distraction oregon an exit plan. He said helium plans to marque a vocation of the Army. He enlisted 9 years agone and has already deployed once, to Egypt for the peacekeeping ngo successful Sinai.

The nighttime earlier deploying to Iraq, helium went retired with Army buddies to observe with a large steak. He welcomed the thought of serving wherever determination was a accidental for enactment and a small danger.

“This is wherefore I signed up,” helium said. “I emotion the Army. It’s fun.”

First Lt. Caroline Tran

Medical logistics, 31
Dallas

Before she was an serviceman successful a aesculapian logistics team, Lieutenant Tran was an enlisted subject constabulary officer, past a drill sergeant. She’s seen the Army from each sides and has already served successful Iraq and Afghanistan.

She is the girl of Vietnamese refugees who fled the autumn of Saigon successful 1975. Her begetter fought connected the broadside of the Americans. Her parent escaped by boat. They ne'er truly talked astir that warfare astatine home, and she ne'er truly asked. Her parents weren’t precise blessed erstwhile she enlisted.

Why is her brigade being sent to Iraq now, 10 years aft American combat operations determination formally ended? That’s conscionable however it goes, she said, pointing retired that U.S. soldiers are inactive deploying to South Korea and Germany, wherever the warring stopped generations ago. Regardless of the spot oregon mission, her enactment remains the same.

“It’s conscionable portion of our job,” she said. “We spell wherever the federation needs us.”

Pfc. Carlos Pabon

Cavalry scout, 22
Huntsville, Ala.

Carlos Pabon walked into a recruiting presumption connected Sept. 11, 2020, to motion his enlistment papers, oblivious to the value of the date. He finished grooming lone a fewer weeks earlier helium learned that helium would beryllium deploying to Iraq.

Private Pabon wears the spot of the Fourth Infantry Division connected his near sleeve. Like the bulk of the brigade, his close sleeve is bare. That spot is reserved for a combat spot for troops who person deployed to a struggle zone. He’ll get his erstwhile helium returns to Fort Carson.

“We are excited,” helium said arsenic helium waited to committee an airplane astatine a subject aerial terminal adjacent Fort Carson. “A batch of the guys who didn’t get a accidental to deploy privation they had.”

Asked if helium was troubled astir deploying to a state wherever galore Americans felt that U.S. troops should ne'er person been sent successful the archetypal place, helium shook his head. He pointed to a poster-sized photograph hanging connected the partition of the terminal, showing a worker kneeling down to shingle the manus of smiling Iraqi boy.

“You spot successful that photo?” helium said. “The lad has a publication bag. That’s wherefore I don’t caput going. I privation to marque definite those kids support having those opportunities.”