Fort Carson soldiers return from South Korea
The staunch stillness of ceremony melted into chaotic emotion Tuesday as soldiers embraced their loved ones at Fort Carson following a nine-month training rotation in South Korea.
The 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, about 4,500 people, traveled to South Korea for the training that included exercises with South Korean troops, said Col. Keith Benedict, brigade commander.
“It is one of our world’s premier alliances. Our being there is a physical manifestation of that alliance for the people in the Republic of Korea,” he said. “…We were privileged to be the first Fort Carson and Ivy Division patch-wearing soldiers to go support that mission.”
From left, Alison Hamilton, Connor Hamilton and 1st Lt. William Hamilton leave Fort Carson’s William “Bill” Reed Special Event Center after reuniting at a homecoming for the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo. After a nine-month rotation, 245 soldiers were welcomed home from South Korea. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)
North Korea tested cruise missiles in January and February in a show of force. But heightened tensions on the peninsula did not disrupt the brigade’s training, he said.
The schedule featured 153 days in a row of continuous field training straight through Thanksgiving Day, he said. On the holiday, the soldiers trained with live rounds and ended the day with turkey dinners, he said.
The 4th Infantry Division celebrated the homecoming of the final 250 2nd Stryker Brigade soldiers Tuesday with the uncasing of the brigade flag and battle streamers as families watched with anticipation.
Maj. Alexandra Teskey is reunited with her children, James, 3, front, and Autumn, 8, at a homecoming for the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Fort Carson’s William “Bill” Reed Special Event Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)
“It is wonderful to bring everyone home and celebrate with families and division leadership,” Benedict said.
Staff Sgt. Isaiah Morales with the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, started looking for his wife and brother as soon as he walked through the doors of the William “Bill” Reed Special Event Center.
“It is a great feeling honestly,” he said, of looking for his family.
The time abroad helped build cohesiveness among his squad especially because they were living together in the barracks. But he was looking forward to more personal space and other conveniences, such as good food and driving his Toyota Tundra.
Lt. Col. Ben Hassell holds up a sign made by his son Zeke, bottom left, at a homecoming for the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Fort Carson’s William “Bill” Reed Special Event Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Hassell was welcomed home by his wife and their eight children. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)
Soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division returning from a nine-month rotation in South Korea carry their bags through the parking lot of Fort Carson’s William “Bill” Reed Special Event Center Tuesday, on March 5, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)