Two Army units from Texas to deploy – one to Iraq and the other to Afghanistan

AUSTIN, Texas – Army division and corps headquarters units will deploy in the fall, one to support operations in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan, service officials announced Friday.

III Corps Headquarters from Fort Hood, Texas will deploy to Iraq to replace XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters as the headquarters of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve as part of a regular rotation of forces, according to an Army news release.

This is the third rotation for III Corps at the helm of the U.S. fight against the Islamic State. About 250 soldiers will deploy for as long as a year, said Col. Myles Caggins, a III Corps spokesman.

“The III Corps has a distinguished history of combat success, and our soldiers have trained several months for this important mission,” Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Hendrex of III Corps said in a statement.

Maj. Gen. Robert “Pat” White was announced May 23 for promotion to lieutenant general and as the commander of III Corps. He is expected to take command June 5.

The task force leads 74 nations and five international organizations that form a coalition operating with Iraqi security forces in the regional pursuit to defeat ISIS, Caggins said.

The 1st Armored Division Headquarters from Fort Bliss, Texas also will deploy in the fall to replace the 4th Infantry Division Headquarters as part of a regular rotation of forces in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan.

“This team is very well-trained [and] prepared to execute their mission," said Maj. Gen. Patrick Matlock, 1st Armored Division commander.

About 250 servicemembers will deploy for at least nine months and as long as a year, said Lt. Col. Rosalba Poulos, a division spokeswoman.

This is the first time that the division headquarters will support this mission, “which is a NATO-led mission to train advise and assist our Afghan partners,” she said.

Thayer.rose@stripes.com

Twitter: @Rose_Lori

