Col. Ryan Barnett, commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), leads his Soldiers in casing the colors June 28 on Mountain Field, Fort Johnson, La. More than 2,500 Soldiers are preparing to deploy to Mihail Kogalniceau Air Base in Romania. (U.S. Army photo by Antoine Aaron)
3rd Brigade Combat Team Soldiers
case colors ahead of deployment
Antoine Aaron
Fort Johnson Public Affairs Office
FORT JOHNSON, La. (June 28, 2024) – More than 2,500 Soldiers are preparing to deploy in the coming weeks from Fort Johnson to Mihail Kogalniceau Air Base in Romania. Members of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI) held a colors casing ceremony June 28, observing the time honored to mark the start of deployment.
The unit colors represent the spirit and history of the organization. The casing of the colors ceremony shows the unit has a mission forward and will deploy. Once 3rd BCT Soldiers reach their destination and assume the mission, they will then uncase the colors to show, once again, that the unit is now operating forward.
“We spent almost two years watching the brigade train and prepare for this mission,” said Col. Ryan Barnett, commander of 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division.
“I talked with Soldiers before they started departing two weeks ago,” he said. “I know they are ready for the task and more than motivated to answer the nation’s call.”
Barnett also took a few minutes to highlight the four critical tasks of the mission in Europe.
“First is to deter Russian aggression, second is to assure our NATO allies and partners that we will be there,” he said. “The third task is to execute a training strategy that enhances our internal lethality and readiness, and lastly, to be the transformational pilot of this aggressive training strategy.”
The intent is to demonstrate the Army’s capacity to transform and modernize, no matter the mission or where they are stationed in the world.
The brigade colors are entrusted to the command sergeant major, who will hold and protect them. The command sergeant major is responsible for the colors, being right beside the commander as they embark on their mission in Europe.