ADAPTABILITY HAS BEEN KEY for the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade in the lead-up to a nine-month mission in the Middle East. The Army National Guard brigade is poised to deploy to the region for the third time in 10 years. This time, the COVID-19 pandemic, civil disturbances and a record-breaking wildfire season have resulted in shifting timelines and heavy workloads. To top it all off, on the weekend CAB soldiers were set to depart their home stations for their final training at North Fort Hood, Texas, a freak blizzard hit the installation, causing power outages and water main breaks. The snowstorm delayed the CAB's arrival by three weeks. But early last month, North Fort Hood was back online and more than 1,100 brigade troops arrived to complete their final preparations before heading overseas. "This is the first time we've actually brought all our soldiers from nine different states together at once," said Col. Alan Gronewold, the brigade commander. "Normally, you would think that would be a pretty difficult challenge, but because of great leadership and great planning, everyone has come together fairly seamlessly. And as we talk to folks, everyone is all about being a part of the bigger task force and coming together as one unit."
展开▼
