In preparation for an upcoming deployment to Europe, soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault held a colors-casing ceremony at Fort Campbell Tuesday.
An Army tradition, the casing of colors represents the moving of the brigade to a new theater of operation.
Elements of 2nd Brigade Combat Team “Strike,” and 101st Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion have been ordered to deploy, marking the first time the division has deployed to Europe in nearly 80 years.
Staff Sgt. Joel Reyes said the very soul of a military unit is symbolized in the Colors under which it fights, adding the Colors serve as a binding symbol of continuity and a point of inspiration for the future.
In 2019, more than 150 soldiers with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team “Strike” deployed to Ukraine for a nine-month tour.
Army officials said then the training support was part of ongoing efforts by the United States to contribute to Ukraine’s long-term military reform.
Fast forward three years and 4,700 Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division will deploy to locations across Europe. The first soldiers arrived there last month.
The casing of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Colors and headquarters and Headquarters Battalion Colors, symbolize their departure from Fort Campbell. Their Colors will remain cased until they redeploy the European Command Theater of Operations.
