Gunslingers pass the colors to Oregon guard; prepare to return home

BY DALE ELLIS
Managing Editor    17 July, 2002

With members of TF 2-153 (Gunslingers) preparing to return home to Arkansas, responsibility of the MFO mission in the Sinai Region of Egypt has officially changed hands.

This week, Lieutenant Colonel Steve Womack, commanding officer of the Gunslingers, passed the MFO colors to Major General Meating, who will relay the command to Lieutenant Colonel Dan Cameron of TF 1-186 from the Oregon National Guard.

"The execution of 'relief in place' for a 529 member peacekeeping force is a daunting one," Womack said. "First, we continue to be responsible for the operational mission of the MFO. At the same time, we must ensure the accountability of all of our property, including sensitive items, the security of South Camp, the movement of all troops and equipment to the airfield, security of the airfield, the loading and off-loading of equipment from the inbound task force, and improcessing the inbound soldiers. It is a detailed operation."

Womack said the task force has already begun re-deployment to Fort Carson, Colorado, with 60 members sent home almost two weeks ago to stand up the group that will receive the two main bodies of soldiers.

Main Body I, consisting of about 230 soldiers, arrived in Fort Carson last Friday, with Main Body II scheduled to arrive this Friday.

" We have been hailed by the MFO for not only an historic mission, but clearly one of the most successful in MFO history. The mission was executed to standard and our accident rate was unprecedented," Womack commented. "No major accidents--only a few very minor 'fender benders'. We expended more tuition assistance money for the civilian education of our soldiers than any of the previous two rotations. The relationship between our soldiers and the 10 other contingents was heralded by the force staff as the best they have seen."

Womack hailed his group of soldiers as a dedicated group that responded to a national emergency by replacing an active duty unit scheduled for duty in the MFO on short notice, with little time for training, deployment and execution.

He said it was done without incident and played out on the world stage before military and diplomatic leaders throughout the world.

"Now we return home--safely--to the real heroes in this mobilization--our families, employers, and supporting communities," he said.

"What more could a commander ask of his troops?"