FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas — The Department of Defense recently approved a request for assistance from the State Department to provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for specified Afghan Special Immigration Visa applicants and their families, and possibly other vulnerable Afghans, at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and Fort Bliss, Texas, in addition to Fort Lee, Virginia.
Approximately 1,022 service members from III Corps from Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; and Fort Riley, Kansas will provide support to Fort McCoy and Fort Bliss to assist in these efforts as part of the task force located there.
U.S. Northern Command is the Department of Defense’s lead combatant command for this mission in the continental United States and is providing oversight in support of the Department of State. U.S. Army North, as U.S. Northern Command’s Joint Force Land Component Command, is the lead operational command for this mission.
The task force at Fort McCoy and Fort Bliss will provide housing, medical, logistics, and transportation support.
We are proud to join Task Force Fort McCoy and Fort Bliss, U.S. Army North, U.S. Northern Command, and the Department of Defense team, in supporting the State Department with this mission.
“When our Nation calls, III Corps and Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) answer with action; our troops remain ready to respond to any mission,” said Col. Myles Caggins, III Corps and Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) spokesperson. “The III Corps engineers, military police, medics, and logistics soldiers—men and women—deploying to these temporary housing sites will enable the Department of State to safely and securely process the Afghan evacuees.”
“III Corps Soldiers first deployed to Afghanistan in January 2002 and have continually rotated in the Middle East and South Asia since; the Operation Allies Refuge mission is a challenge our troops are trained for,” said Caggins. “Helping U.S. citizens, vulnerable Afghans and other evacuees is another example of the vast capability and talent of our III Corps and Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Soldiers.”
“As part of III Corps’ ‘People First’ initiative, prior to deploying, each soldier when through a standard process for medical screening, financial preparedness, and family support services orientation,” said Caggins.
Units deploying (As of August 23, 2021):
509th Clearance Company 5th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/509thClearanceCompany/
515th Sapper Company 5th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/515thEngineers/
89th Military Police Kennel, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/89thmpbde
Patrol Explosive Detector Dog, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/89thmpbde
759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/759.Military.Police.Battalion
127th Military Police Company, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/89thmpbde
977th Military Police Company, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/977thMilitaryPoliceCompany
581st Medical Company, 61st Multi-functional Medical Battalion, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warriormedics/
546th Area Support Medical Company, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gatormedics/?ref=py_c
411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/411th-Military-Police-Company-207482149279651
720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/720mpbn/
10th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/627HC/
All media, public queries, and release of imagery or information will be coordinated through the JFLCC to USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, for coordination through OSD/PA and DOS for final approval.
Soldiers from the 5th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri Conduct accountability, and load buses to prepare to deploy to CENTCOM. (U.S. Army photo)
