SPRINGFIELD, IL (12/11/2013)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers who served in Afghanistan will return to Illinois this week. The homecoming ceremony for the Bilateral Embedded Staff Team (BEST) A11 will be Dec. 12 at 11:45 a.m.at Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield.
The BEST A11 Soldiers were mobilized in February and deployed to Afghanistan.
The team served as primary staff officers for Task Force White Eagle, a Polish brigade-sized task force responsible for security and intelligence operations, Afghanistan security force development, and Regional Command-East drawdown operations in Ghazni province. The team supported for more than 3,000 coalition members, contractors, local civilians and Soldiers on the base.
BEST A11 Commander, Col. Chris Lawson of Springfield, said BEST A11 Soldiers/Task Force White Eagle Soldiers and Afghan Security Forces removed more enemy forces from the battlefield than any other area in Afghanistan and the most ever in Ghazni since operations began.
The team defeated a Taliban attack Aug. 28. An Afghan National Army commander indicated this attack was the most resourced and comprehensively planned attack in Eastern and Southern Afghanistan. An active duty Army Soldier was killed in the offensive. Two Soldiers of BEST A11 and two Soldiers from Task Force White Eagle were recognized with awards for their role in defeating the Taliban attack.
The Task Force White Eagle area of responsibility also had the second most direct fire attacks and the task force responded to more than 50 rocket attacks on the base.
Among numerous other accomplishments, the team also assisted with locating 18 tons of hazardous material explosives, the largest in Ghazni history.
All members of the team have been awarded combat action badges for direct enemy contact. Additional decorations included: 12 Bronze Stars Medals, one Bronze Star with V device for valor, one Purple Heart, four Army Commendation Medals, and one Army Commendation Medal with V device for valor. All members of the team were also awarded the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, the first U.S. personnel to be awarded the insignia as members of the 25th.
For more information call the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569.
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