Press
Release: Task Force CAESAR to Return Home to San Diego from Operation
NOBLE EAGLE
Submitted by TF CAESAR Public Affairs,
February 04, 2004
Task Force 2/185th Armor (TF 2/185) of
the California Army National Guard (also known as Task Force
CAESAR) will return home to San Diego in April 2004 after a yearlong
mobilization in support of homeland security. Deployment began
in May 2003, when the unit was mobilized to Federal active duty
for Operation NOBLE EAGLE III. TF 2/185 was formed as a composite
of California Army National Guard units that include soldiers
from the 2nd Battalion, 185th Armor Regiment, 1st Squadron, 18th
Cavalry Regiment, 579th Engineer Battalion, 132nd Engineer Battalion,
and the 3rd Battalion 160th Infantry Regiment. The 2nd Brigade,
40th Infantry Division was mobilized concurrently as the unit's
higher headquarters serving at Fort Sam Houston Texas.
TF 2/185 initially mobilized through Fort
Carson, Colorado. The unit trained at Fort Carson for two weeks
in preparation for the Operation NOBLE EAGLE mission. From Colorado,
TF 2/185 moved to Tooele Army Depot (Tooele, UT) to relieve the
1st Battalion, 145th Field Artillery, Utah Army National Guard
as the headquarters for Operations NOBLE EAGLE and ARMORED FALCON
units serving in Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. TF 2/185 also sent
soldiers to provide site security at two additional Army installations
in Utah: Desert Chemical Depot and Dugway Proving Ground.
Tooele Army Depot is primarily an ammunition
storage site. Desert Chemical Depot stores a large percentage
of the United States' stockpile of chemical munitions. The depot
also supports chemical weapons demilitarization to destroy aging
stockpiles of chemical weapons. Dugway Proving Ground's mission
is to plan, conduct, analyze, and report the results of technical
tests and studies, especially in the areas of chemical defense,
biological defense, incendiary, smoke and obscurant systems,
and environmental technology testing. In addition, Dugway is
a major range and test facility for chemical and biological defense
testing and a reliance center for the U.S. Department of Defense.
TF 2/185 soldiers are responsible for
maintaining perimeter security at the sensitive installations
to which they're assigned. They man entry points, occupy observation
posts, and patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week in all weather.
The soldiers also continue their training and military professional
development while on deployment. Along with military leadership
and MOS qualification schools, soldiers have completed training
specific to their military specialties including:
Mortar gunnery training.
Tank crew qualification training.
Engineer qualification tables.
Small arms and crew served weapons training
Small unit tactical training.
TF 2/185 also hosted a competition for
the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency.
In the little spare time they had, soldiers
from TF CAESAR were also able to participate in community functions
supporting various charitable activities. Some of these activities
included: Fishing Day for special needs kids, Talent Show for
the 4th of July celebration, fund raiser for the Moose Heart
Children Orphanage, support of the Healing Field in memory of
September 11, 2001 attacks, the restoration of the Women's Receiving
Center, and Color Guard at the Veteran's Day parade in Tooele.
Other individuals spent their extra time in Softball tournaments,
hiking the countryside, skiing, or preparing for Soldier of the
Year boards.
As mission requirements changed, TF 2/185
began sending soldiers home in December 2003. The first elements
to demobilize were from the 1/18th Cavalry, the 132nd Enineers
and some elements from the 579th Engineers. The main body is
expected to return to home to San Diego mid-April 2004.
