‘Dedicated 365 days out of the year’

Twenty years after Georgia’s 48th Infantry Brigade deployed more than 4,000 troops to Iraq, the brigade continues to serve, with soldiers preparing for new training missions and possible future deployments.

Members of the brigade are reuniting this weekend to mark the 20th anniversary of the Iraq deployment and reflect on their service.

Col. Chris Powell, who served as an executive officer and platoon leader during the deployment, said the 12 months in Iraq were unlike anything he had experienced before.

“It was just a very different experience … not like anything, the weather, the people, the level of seriousness,” Powell said.

The brigade returned home in May 2006 after losing 26 members during the deployment. Two of those soldiers were from Central Georgia.

Two decades later, veterans say the bonds formed during the deployment remain strong.

“It just brings back a sense of camaraderie and, you know, a certain level of proudness that we have,” Powell said.

Those experiences also continue to influence how Powell and other veterans prepare younger soldiers.

“We were in contact with the enemy every day,” Powell said. “When we talk to younger soldiers, training proficiency — can you fight, are you physically fit?”

While members of the brigade gather to remember their Iraq service, about 400 Georgia troops are currently in Washington, D.C., supporting security efforts as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary observances.

“They’re working, helping provide security for the D.C. area in support of law enforcement,” Powell said.

The brigade also is preparing for two major training missions in the coming years. Soldiers will begin training at Fort Stewart next summer before heading to Fort Polk, Louisiana, the following year.

“When that’s completed, the brigade will be validated for future deployments,” Powell said.

The brigade is also transitioning into a mobile combat team, with fewer soldiers, lighter vehicles and updated communications systems.

Despite those changes, Powell said the commitment of the soldiers remains the same.

“A soldier is a soldier in the end,” he said. “They’re dedicated 365 days out of the year.”

The upcoming training missions are designed to certify the platoons within the combat team and prepare the brigade for future deployments.