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First U.S. Army in the News
Major General Joseph J. Taluto Public Affairs Office • Headquarters, 42nd Infantry Division • 665 6th Street M • Fort Drum, NY • 13602
CONTACT: Maj. Anton Alston FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 11, 2005
fortysecond.id.pao@us.army.milRainbow Division and Task Force Liberty Move Out
FORT DRUM, NEW YORK The main body of the 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division, the command and control element of Task Force Liberty, has left here and Fort Dix for Kuwait and their final destination -- Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom 3.
The mobilization of the Rainbow Division provides a foundation on which the Army can build a combat task force for operations in Iraq. Division Soldiers will provide the command and control, logistics and operational base for combat brigades to succeed in their mission in Iraq.
The combat force, known as Task Force Liberty, includes the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team from Fort Stewart, Georgia and 3rd Brigade Combat Team from Fort Benning, Georgia. The Idaho National Guard provides the 116th Brigade Combat Team and the 278th Regimental Combat Team from the Tennessee Army National Guard complete the force.
Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry (Rainbow) Division, board an aircraft for Kuwait and Operation Iraqi Freedom 3. Approximately 2,000 division Soldiers, part of Task Force Liberty departed in the first two weeks of January. Many of these Soldiers have been training for Operation Iraqi Freedom since May of 2004. Approximately 2,000 division Soldiers departed in the first two weeks of January. Many of these Soldiers have been training for Operation Iraqi Freedom since May of 2004. Gathered from Army units across 24 states and American Samoa, these 21st-Century Soldiers embody the division's proud World War One heritage, summed up by Gen. Douglas MacArthur's historic comparison from which the division takes its name: The 42nd Division stretches like a rainbow from one end of America to another.
The division's Advance Party deployed in early November and elements of Task Force Liberty deployed to Kuwait throughout November and December. As subordinate units continue to flow into Iraq to assume their mission, the theater commander, Gen. John Abizaid, adjusted the division headquarter's original November deployment to January 2005.
The combatant commander did not want to realign forces at the critical time of the Iraqi (national) elections, said G3 (operations) Chief of Plans Lt. Col. Michael Hamlet. The troops in theater have been there a while. They've developed relationships with the Iraqi people and leaders. They know the nuances of the situation, Hamlet said. Why would we swap out troops at this critical juncture? Although this adjustment was frustrating to not only the Soldiers, but their families as well, this time allowed Soldiers at all levels to focus clearly on the mission, and fully prepare for it.
As forward elements of the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters established forward command posts in Kuwait to control the deployment of thousands of Soldiers into theater, the remaining headquarters Soldiers focused on conducting post-validation training to better prepare our Soldiers not immediately deploying to do their mission, said Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Taluto, Task Force Liberty Commander.
So while some Rainbow Soldiers went forward into Kuwait and Iraq, those that remained behind went forward with additional training—including the Middle Eastern Orientation Course (MEOC), language classes and insurgency operations seminars.
If you took a typing class, and learned to type, then never touched a typewriter, your skill would degrade, said Hamlet. He added that cultural awareness is critical to the mission.
In general, Americans are not overly-familiar with Arab culture, history, language or the Islamic faith, Hamlet commented. These courses are designed to give degrees of knowledge in those areas.The courses teach that the vast majority of Iraqis are not hostile to the mission of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Hamlet.
The key to our success will be our professionalism and the culturally appropriate ways with which we conduct ourselves, he said.
The importance of that conduct is, as we execute our mission, we do so in a way that does not create more problems by violating customs and norms, he said. It is probably some of the most important training we've conducted because it relates directly to our mission's center of gravity—the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
Sgt. Mark Weaver, from Task Force Liberty's 642nd Military Intelligence Battalion, described the training as a series of seminars covering the culture, language and religion of Iraq, taught by scholars and Iraqi natives.
It definitely was an eye-opener, Weaver said. This course taught us that only small portions of the Iraqi people are hostile to coalition forces. The great majority of Iraq wants a democratic way of life.
I'd recommend this course to any Soldier going to Iraq, said Weaver. As peacekeepers, we need to know how to communicate with the local people.
MEOC taught him that Islam does not encourage terrorism, said Sgt. James Murphy, 42nd Military Police Company.My impression of all Muslims has changed, he said. He added that being objective is part of situational awareness.
As these Rainbow Soldiers were getting a taste of Arab culture, other Soldiers of the Task Force were sharpening their combat skills. Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division's Long Range Surveillance Detachment (LRSD) got a taste of desert living—in the Mojave Desert, at Fort Irwin's National Training Center in California. The LRSD Soldiers were employed as opposing forces (OPFOR) to train Nevada National Guard Soldiers, according to Sgt. 1st Class Robert Saquet, LRSD first sergeant.
We replicated the small units that we're going against [in Iraq], he said. We were doing our job, only as OPFOR. We took what we learned at Fort Drum and applied it in an actual desert. We learned to work within the constraints and limitations of a desert environment.
The division also used the opportunity to send some of its Soldiers to the Army's Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The course was 80 percent classroom training, and 20 percent field training, according to Spc. Jerome Defrank, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 42nd Infantry Division.
We spent a good three days in the field, doing everything from land navigation to individual movement techniques, he said. PLDC taught him to set the example that people would like to follow, he added. The course is one of the first professional education steps towards a Soldier's promotion as a Non-Commissioned Officer.
Leaders need to credit our Soldiers for the work they've done, by giving them time off or some extra minutes on the phone, Defrank said. That keeps Soldiers motivated and empowered, and starts embedding the idea in their minds for the time when they may become leaders, Defrank added.
You can't say every Soldier is going to become a leader, but you should still empower them with the knowledge you have.
PLDC taught him better leadership skills, said Sgt. Joseph Flowers, from the Division Support Command's 50th Main Support Battalion like how to supervise.
I learned to walk the fine line between delegating and pawning off my duties, said Flowers. A Multiple Launch Rocket System repairman, Flowers was conditionally promoted to sergeant before attending PLDC, and because he graduated, he is allowed to keep his rank. Flowers made the commandant's list for his exceptional performance in the course.The main role of an NCO is leadership, he said. I think subordinates look to you as a role model. How you supervise and delegate is important to show you're part of the team, and not just a boss. It keeps morale up.
Rainbow Division units deploying for Operation Iraqi Freedom include the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters Company, the Aviation and Engineer Brigade Headquarters, the Division Artillery Headquarters, Division Support Command Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 150th General Aviation Support Battalion, 50th Main Support Battalion, 642nd Division Aviation Support Battalion, 250th Signal Battalion, 642nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 42nd Military Police Company, 272nd Chemical Company, 42nd Division Band, Battery E (Target Acquisition), 101st Field Artillery, 42nd Rear Operations Cell and 173rd Long Range Surveillance Detachment.
RAINBOW,…NEVER FORGET!
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