Fort Hood Sentinel:
After successfully completing a mission rehearsal exercise in March and pre-deployment requirements, Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade are trained and ready to deploy to Southwest Asia.
Col. Richard Harrison, brigade commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Brown, the brigade’s senior enlisted adviser, cased the brigade colors May 20 during a ceremony at West Fort Hood physical fitness center.
The brigade will command Patriot and air defense systems spread across five different countries, said the brigade commander.
Among the air defense units that will fall under the brigade’s control is one of their very own.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 44th ADA Regiment are slated to deploy to Southwest Asia this summer and augment the patriot assets in 69th ADA Bde.’s area of responsibility.
While having an organic asset on deployment does not happen all the time in air defense artillery, Harrison said it is beneficial. “We’re excited to have another part of our Family over there with us” he said. “We all in air defense artillery share Soldiers across the entire 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, but it’s great to have a battalion from your brigade over there with you.”
The deployment provides Harrison a “unique” opportunity to provide leadership for Soldiers outside of his brigade, he said.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of influencing Soldiers who don’t necessarily wear my patch or know how I do business, while still accomplishing the mission and really making a difference across our Army and across our branch,” he said.
Spc. Ryan Gaetz, an air defense battle management system operator with HHB, 69th ADA Bde., previously deployed with 1-44 ADA Regt., 69th ADA Bde., and is now deploying with HHB.
