Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011

2nd Bn., 330th Inf. Regt., cases colors on Sand Hill

FORT BENNING, Ga. — The 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, cased its colors Thursday at Kanell Field.

Col. Bruce Parker, commander of the 198th Infantry Brigade, termed the importance of the colors as “part of our history and part of our tradition in battle.”

“If the colors fell, someone picked them up, and if unable to be picked up, the surviving Soldiers would rally around those colors to protect and defend that symbol which represented the unit,” he said.

The battalion’s 51 Soldiers arrived in January. They completed 16 cycles lasting 14 weeks each and trained more than 3,200 Infantrymen. Parker said the unit motto “true to the end” fit as the battalion was true to the end in everything it did and set the standards for others to follow.

He said Soldiers of the battalion were motivated, fit and well trained.

“As a result, (they) have performed the mission of training Infantrymen better than any other mobilized battalion that we’ve had in this brigade,” Parker said.

He said it had been a privilege to partner with the battalion.

“The past 10-and-a-half months have flown by but much has happened in this time,” said Lt. Col. David Schultz, the 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment commander. “Hundreds of miles have been marched and ran, gallons of sweat have been lost and I’m sure a few hairs also.”

Schultz said he was “eternally grateful” for the guidance and leadership the brigade provided. Many friendships were formed and lessons learned, “but all has made us richer and more resilient,” he said.