101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION TRANSFERS AUTHORITY TO TASK FORCE OLYMPIA

	NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894

February 5, 2004
Release Number: 04-02-08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION TRANSFERS AUTHORITY TO TASK FORCE OLYMPIA

MOSUL, Iraq – As hundreds of regional Iraqi leaders and Coalition partners looked on, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) transferred authority and operational control of Ninewa, Irbil and Dahuk provinces to Task Force Olympia today at the palace headquarters complex in northern Mosul.

Task Force Olympia is a sub-element of I Corps headquarters based at Fort Lewis, Wash. The unit includes representatives from all three components of the United States Army (Active, Reserve and National Guard) as well as United States Marine Corps and Australian officers. Task Force Olympia’s subordinate units include the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), from Fort Lewis, four Iraqi Civil Defense Corps battalions, three Iraq Border Police battalions and several thousand members of the Iraq Facility Protection Security Forces and will soon include an Iraq Armed Forces battalion.

The ceremony marked the culmination of several weeks of transition operations and regional handovers in Tall Afar, Qayyara and Mosul, as many units under the operational control of Task Force Olympia worked in conjunction with 101st Airborne Division soldiers to ensure a seamless transition of authority.

The 101st Airborne Division redeploys to Fort Campbell, Ky. after a yearlong deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since April, the 101st has worked in tandem with the Iraqi people to improve the security, infrastructure, economy and government in the Mosul region.

“We have shown that there is nothing that can’t be achieved when we all work together,” said Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division.

Task Force Olympia intends to continue the progress made by the 101st’s Screaming Eagles.

“We owe you, our nation and the people of Iraq our best effort every day and that is what you shall get,” said Brigadier Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander, Task Force Olympia.

Shortly after the ceremony, the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division boarded UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters for a short ride to Mosul Airfield, where military transport awaited for their trip back to Fort Campbell.

Task Force Olympia continues to work with the citizens and leaders of Iraq to make it a safe, prosperous, and democratic nation.

1 posted on 02/05/2004 3:11:40 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl

To: MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; TEXOKIE; Alamo-Girl; windchime; Grampa Dave; anniegetyourgun; ...

The ceremony marked the culmination of several weeks of transition operations and regional handovers in Tall Afar, Qayyara and Mosul...

“We have shown that there is nothing that can’t be achieved when we all work together,” said Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division.

Task Force Olympia intends to continue the progress made by the 101st’s Screaming Eagles.

“We owe you, our nation and the people of Iraq our best effort every day and that is what you shall get,” said Brigadier Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander, Task Force Olympia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Task Force Olympia: I Corps - Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Australian allies, US Marines,

US Army - Active, Reserve, Guard - Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, Iraqi Border Police,

Iraq Facility Protection Security Forces, Iraq Armed Forces battalion,

NON-UN-ilateral, Iraq-ization, transformation,

troop rotation, progress, ping!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

101st Airborne Division

Mission accomplished, ping!

2 posted on 02/05/2004 3:12:45 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl ("What we have begun, we will finish." ~ President Bush, 2/05/04)

To: Cannoneer No. 4

3 posted on 02/05/2004 3:14:14 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl ("What we have begun, we will finish." ~ President Bush, 2/05/04)

To: af_vet_rr; ALOHA RONNIE; American in Israel; American Soldier; archy; armymarinemom; BCR #226; ...

SBCT TSG (ChABN) ping

4 posted on 02/05/2004 3:26:46 PM PST by Cannoneer No. 4 (The road to Glory cannot be followed with too much baggage.)

Stryker Brigade Combat Team Tactical Studies Group (Chairborne)

5 posted on 02/05/2004 3:33:15 PM PST by Cannoneer No. 4 (The road to Glory cannot be followed with too much baggage.)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION TRANSFERS AUTHORITY TO TASK FORCE OLYMPIA ~ Bump!

6 posted on 02/05/2004 5:10:25 PM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Kudos to the Screaming Eagles!!

7 posted on 02/05/2004 7:29:54 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (There are no liberals and there are no leftists. They are all Democrats.)

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

8 posted on 02/05/2004 9:17:48 PM PST by Alamo-Girl

To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Kudos to the 101st and to TF Olympia! I wish I could tell each one of those troops how grateful to them I am.

9 posted on 02/06/2004 12:25:41 AM PST by WaterDragon (GWB is The MAN!)

Amen.

We do let our troops visiting FR know how proud we are of their efforts, and how much we love them - right here, every day!

10 posted on 02/06/2004 7:09:00 AM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl ("What we have begun, we will finish." ~ President Bush, 2/05/04)

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