Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, gathered Thursday to officially mark their deployment to Afghanistan by casing their brigade colors, with a ceremonious send off.

This month, 3rd BCT’s deployment will make up approximately 3,800 Soldiers of the 30,000 total called in the surge to Afghanistan that President Barack Obama promised in December.

Wednesday evening, the first State of the Union Address of 2010 found Obama reaffirming his position on Afghanistan.

“We’re increasing our troops and training Afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011, and our troops can begin to come home,” Obama said during his address. “There will be difficult days ahead. But I am absolutely confident we will succeed.”

Once in country, the Rakkasans will be stationed across the provinces of Khost, Paktika and Paktia.

Commander Col. Viet Luong addressed the brigade and attendees at the Passenger Processing Center, the place where the team will make their return approximately a year from now.

“These are exciting times, not just another deployment,” Luong said, “but an opportunity to truly change the tides of war.”

Luong praised the fighting of his brigade since the beginning of both operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I’d be so bold to say that these troopers are the greatest generation, here today,” he said. “Our Soldiers have been more than capable to carry on the fighting tradition.”

The return deployment to Afghanistan, Luong called a duty to protect our way of life.

“This rendezvous with destiny is the best situation a unit could ask for,” Luong said after speaking of the willingness of his team to help ready each other for the deployment.

It reaffirms we’re in a special place with special people, he said.

“Feel no sorrow for us. This is our destiny,” he said. “The next time you see us…we will again uncase the glorious colors at Fort Campbell.”

Deployment through the eyes of command

Leading up to the deployment, commanders must oversee a mosaic of responsibilities that include a heavy focus on physical fitness, and additionally, the counterinsurgency environment.

“We have to make sure we understand the forces we’re cooperating with, so we’re all working together,” said Lt. Col. Robert Harman, commander of 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment after Thursday’s ceremony.

Harman, facing his ninth career deployment when he leaves this month, said the hope this time is to help Afghanistan one day stand up on its own.

“It educates young guys on taking care of the people of Afghanistan,” he said.

As well, each deployment carries its own variations for Harman. “It’s different, because the situation changes each time,” he said.

From the environment, to the way that fighting changes over time, progression in battle conditions gives each deployment a new feel, Harman said.

“Things have happened to change how you focus,” he said. “In the old days, it may have been more of a lethal fight, now you have to balance the lethal with the non-lethal [fight] and consider technology.”

Harman said a leader will progress through different jobs with shifting responsibilities, but a Soldier’s training reminds everyone to always be ready.

Specifically, for the 1-187th, Harman said there’s a broader spectrum for the work to be done once his unit is ready to begin its mission.

“In today’s environment it’s a matter of basic infantry skills, but also understanding the populace, integrating and training other Afghan forces we’ll partner with,” he said. “We’ve done very well [preparing for] it.”

The mission demands include also helping the Afghan populace recognize that Afghan forces and governance are there for their protection.

Most important is protecting the populace, Harman said.

Rakkasan leaders place a rigorous discipline on their training, and even as they prepare to leave some are still practicing for the real thing, Luong said after the ceremony.

“There are guys still perfecting weapons systems, learning language skills, taking care of Families,” he said. “Our biggest focus is getting Families ready for deployment right now.”

This included brigade leadership making sure Soldiers had plenty of leave time with their Families before they left.

Luong said after the ceremony that he is very confident with the current level of Rakkasan readiness. “In my opinion we’re over trained.”