82nd Abn. Div. headquarters completes
14-month deployment in Afghanistan

By Sgt. April Campbell
82nd Abn. Div. PAO

Photos by Spc. B. Todd Willis/82nd Abn. Div. PAO Lieutenant Gen. Frank G. Helmick, left, commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg welcomes home Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the commanding general for the 82nd Airborne Division, as Scaparrotti stepped off a C-5 Galaxy plane at Pope Air Force Base’s Green Ramp, Tuesday. Twenty-nine members of the All-American leadership, including Scaparrotti and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Capel, the division command sergeant major, were the last of about 600 paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division Special Troops Battalion to be welcomed home at Green Ramp during the past month.

The 82nd Airborne Division headquarters arrived at Pope Air Force Base Tuesday morning culminating a nearly 14-month deployment to eastern Afghanistan.
The 29 members of the All American leadership, including the commanding general and the division command sergeant major, Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Capel, were the last of about 600 paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division Special Troops Battalion to be welcomed home at Pope Air Force Base’s Green Ramp during the past month.

Among the Family members and fellow paratroopers who came to show their support for the 82nd Abn. Div. was Lt. Gen. Frank G. Helmick, the commanding general for the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. During the homecoming ceremony, Helmick praised the All-American Division for all of its accomplishments.

“When people see the All-American patch around the world, whether it’s in Haiti, Iraq or Afghanistan, they think of professionalism, confidence, ruggedness and compassion. Under the leadership of Major General Scapparrotiti and Command Sergeant Major Capel, this division has no equal around the world,” Helmick said.

The 82nd Abn. Div. headquarters assumed command more than a year ago as Combined Joint Task Force-82 and was responsible for more than 30,000 servicemembers from 13 different countries within the eastern area of Afghanistan known as Regional Command East. “I’m proud of what this team accomplished. We accomplished what we set out to do,” Scaparrotti said.
CJTF-82 partnered with Afghan National Security Forces to conduct several operations promoting security, development and stability for the Afghans who live throughout the 14 provinces.

“We had to connect the people to their government and start working on building a stable economy,” said the All-American commander. “There’s a good deal more work to be done, but we made great progress this year, in particular in our relationship with the Afghan National Security Forces.”

After expressing his appreciation to the team who served with him and helped to accomplish the mission on the ground in Afghanistan, Scaparrotti turned his focus to the ongoing mission of the Families and Fort Bragg community.

“I want to thank all of you here, especially the Families — the Families that supported this task force for 13 and 14 months steadfastly,” Scaparrotti said.

One such supportive Family member, Fetoai Tauala, was waiting at the Green Ramp to greet her daughter, Staff Sgt. Jeannie Tauala, who serves as the aide to the division command sergeant major. Fetoai moved to North Carolina from California to help care for her daughter’s two children during the deployment.

While she had waited for her daughter to come home from deployments before, the occasion and surroundings were new and meaningful to Fetoai. “It’s my first time to come here (to Green Ramp) to wait,” she added.

Scaparrotti also expressed his gratitude to all of Fort Bragg and the surrounding area.

“The community leaders, the state and national representatives all kept in contact with me and this task force and provided whatever we needed here as we were deployed,” Scaparrotti said. “This is a tremendous community.” He also acknowledged Helmick and the Fort Bragg command team.

“We would not have done the mission as well, and we could not have taken care of Soldiers and Families here without all of your efforts,” said Scaparrotti.

While the division commander focused mostly on expressing his appreciation for his fellow paratroopers, the Families and community, fewer words were needed to express the most prevailing sentiment about the All American homecoming.

“It’s great to be home,” said Scaparrotti. “America’s Guard of Honor has
returned.”

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