Task Force Normandy’s commander Col. David Carey and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Beyard, cased the brigade’s colors on, Dec. 14, 2011, signifying the end of its mission in Iraq.
Task Force Normandy provided full-spectrum aviation support throughout the Iraq theater of operations. It simultaneously cleaned and cleared Camp Taji and repostured the force to Kuwait.
“We took a mission that was a sprint. It wasn’t a two mile run, it was a sprint,” said Beyard. “We’re getting close to the finish line and we’re still sprinting.”
Casing the colors usually means a unit is transferring its mission to a replacement unit or preparing to redeploy home. However, in the case of Task Force Normandy, the casing ceremony signified that the brigade has reached the end of mission in Iraq and will reposture to a new location in Kuwait.
January 1, 2012, Task Force Normandy will begin its new mission in support of United States Army Central Command. The nearly 2,000-Soldier task force from more than 20 states brings many air assets to the new mission. These assets include: AH-64 Apaches, CH-47 Chinooks, UH-60 Blackhawks, OH-58 Kiowa Warriors, unmanned aerial systems and fixed wing aircraft.
“Remember, we are part of a team. A big team. None of us could have done this alone,” said Carey. “You truly embodied the spirit of the 29th Infantry Division when they coined the motto, Let’s Go,” he added.
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