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Redeployment kicking into high gear
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Col. Peter Hoffman speaks to the Hinesville Rotary Club on Tuesday. - photo by Photo by Pat Watkins
More than two-thirds of the soldiers deployed from Fort Stewart to Iraq will be home in about two months.
“So before Christmas you will have the vast majority of the division back here at Stewart and Hunter,” Col. Peter Hoffman told the Hinesville Rotary Club on Tuesday.
He discussed the transition of the U.S. mission in Iraq and the 3rd Infantry Division’s role there, which started as one of the main invasion forces in the 2003 war to oust Saddam Hussein’s regime and, through four deployments, has evolved into handing over authority to Iraqi forces and dispersing equipment and facilities now that U.S. forces are leaving the country.
“In January of this year, there were 112,000 soldiers on the ground. At the end of the drawdown that’s happening right now, including the 3rd Infantry Division, there will be 50,000,” Hoffman said.
The lion’s share of the remaining troops are expected to be out of the country by the end of next year.
Even while praising the work of the local troops, the colonel said most people are focusing on their return, after a year’s deployment to the Middle East. And that redeployment is hitting high gear. The Associated Press reported this morning that final elements of the 3rd ID’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team arrived back at Fort Benning in Columbus on Wednesday. Advance parties of Stewart units have being arriving in recent weeks. And the first major homecoming ceremony was early this morning.
Fort Stewart’s Public Affairs Office reports about 150 members of the 2nd HBCT were welcomed home during a ceremony on Cottrell Field at 1 a.m.
Hoffman said that from October into December, the 1st and 2nd BCTs, as well as Headquarters Company are scheduled to be back on Fort Stewart. The 4th BCT, which deployed in July, will start returning next summer.
“It’s significant to point out that by July we’ll have 100 percent of the division back. I think that’s good news for everybody, the soldiers and the community,” he said.
In response to a question after his presentation, the colonel said that at this time the 3rd ID brass expects their troops to not face another deployment for at least a year and a half.
Hoffman said his position as chief of strategic partnerships is not new, but that 3rd ID commander, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo, and Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Phillips, who has been acting for Cucolo while he is deployed to Iraq, brought the colonel in to emphasize ways the military and civilian communities can work together.
“Our relationship isn’t just joining at that gate. We’re integrated. We’re joined at the hip,” Hoffman said, praising the civilian community for being more supportive of the military than any other community where he has been stationed during his 29-year Army career.
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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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