Fort Cavazos Celebrates Soldiers Return with Uncasing Ceremony
Commanding General of the First Cavalry Division, Major General Tom Feltey, emphasized the significance of the event, stating that the ceremony symbolized their return to their home station after an extensive rotation to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
'It symbolizes our return back to our home station. So what happened when we left Europe is we actually cased our colors as we turned over responsibility to the First Armored Division, another Texas-based unit out in El Paso, Texas. So we cased our colors and then we carried them until we came back here,' Feltey explained.
The four brigades and division heads deployed to Europe in the spring of 2024. Throughout the deployment, the division maintained combat readiness through various training exercises.
General Feltey emphasized the importance of their mission and the strong bond the soldiers formed with their international allies. 'All of our soldiers, whether they were engaging with local communities in Eastern Europe or working alongside different militaries, were representing the United States. It was an incredibly important mission, not only for us but for our allies,' Feltey said.
Division Training Officer Jared Ray shared his reflections on the deployment, acknowledging both the challenges and rewarding experiences of serving in the European Command area of operations.
'EUCOM was an extraordinarily busy place. And once I gained an understanding of it, it was interesting to see how all the connections went, how we synchronized the rhythm of how the units in Europe work,' Ray said.
While the deployment was undoubtedly tough, many soldiers, like Ray, expressed how staying in touch with family back home helped ease the strain of separation. Frequent FaceTime calls and phone conversations allowed service members and their families to maintain a sense of closeness despite the distance.
'This was our first deployment as a family… What I really appreciated was the Lancers and Iron Horse and First Brigade,' said Ray's wife, Fern. 'They definitely were focusing on family and let us communicate and stay in contact with each other. So we got to do some face time and then phone calls almost daily. So that was really nice,'
As the First Cavalry Division soldiers return to Fort Cavazos, their families are looking forward to reunion celebrations. Many are planning welcome-home parties to commemorate the return of their loved ones. Fern Ray, along with other families, expressed their excitement and joy at the thought of reuniting.
With the successful completion of their deployment, the First Cavalry Division is now back on U.S. soil, ready to continue its mission of protecting and defending the nation's interests.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
Navy pilot rescued after ejecting from F/A-18E near Viriginia coast
A Navy pilot was rescued after ejecting from a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet, like the one pictured here, off the coast of Virginia on Wednesday morning. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Aug. 21 (UPI) -- A Navy pilot was rescued after ejecting from a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet off the coast of Virginia. The pilot was conducting a training routine flight at around 10 a.m. EDT Wedenesday morning at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. Search teams found and rescued the pilot at around 11:12 a.m., Navy spokesperson Lt. Jackie Parashar said. The Navy confirmed the Coast Guard brought the pilot to the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital but provided no further details about his condition, a spokesperson for Sentara, Dale Gauding, confirmed. The F/A-18E has not been retrieved from the water and the cause of the crash is still under investigation. This follows the events of multiple crashes involving Hampton Roads-based Navy Fighter Jets as this marks the sixth F-18 that the Navy has been lost in the last 10 months. In April, an F/A-18E fighter rolled off the side of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft and sank to the bottom of the Red Sea. Roughly a week later, another F/A-18 Super Hornet fell off the deck and into the Red Sea. The F/A-18E Super Hornet jet costs the Navy around $67 million.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Dog Dumped in Crate With Heartbreaking Note: 'Sorry for Resorting To This'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A "gentle natured" dog was found abandoned in a crate alongside a heartbreaking letter. America has a stray pet problem. The charity ASPCA says that, in 2024, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues. Of this number, 60 percent came in as strays. It is a problem experts believe is fueled, in part, by hardship. Speaking to CBS Moneywatch back in January 2024, Stephanie Filer, executive director of Shelter Animals Count, said: "Animal shelters generally reflect what is happening to people in a community and where there is food insecurity." It is not an issue reserved solely to the U.S. either, as a recent case highlighted by the RSPCA over in the U.K. demonstrates. On July 29, a young Staffordshire bull terrier named Spud was discovered in a crate next to the entrance of a field at Frankby Stiles in Frankby, Wirral, in Merseyside. Alongside him, rescuers discovered a handwritten note describing Spud as a "really loving house dog," whom they had unfortunately been "unable to train." "He won't walk on the lead or go down stairs so he's been in the house for a year," the note said. The writer added that they had concluded they were not able to "give him the life he deserves," and had been trying to rehome him without success "for weeks." It finished by saying: "Really am sorry for resorting to this." From left: Spud sits on a tiled floor; and the note he was found with. From left: Spud sits on a tiled floor; and the note he was found with. The finder took Spud to Jackson's Animal Rescue nearby. The charity was advised to take Spud to a Chester-based veterinary practice after he was kindly brought into them by the finder. Spud underwent an examination where it was discovered he had long claws that were growing into his pads, some fur loss and a low body-condition score. Due to Spud's poor health, the RSPCA was contacted, and the dog was then taken to the charity's Greater Manchester Animal Hospital by Animal Rescue Officer Lucy Welch for further assessment and treatment. Welch said: "Spud is a lovely, gentle natured dog. All he wanted to do was sit on my lap and have a cuddle and be showered with affection. He was very polite to the other dogs he saw at the hospital and walked really nicely on a lead when I took him to my van. "His overgrown claws are an indication he'd probably not had enough exercise. They were growing into his pads, which were red and sore—possibly from urine staining—and he would have been left feeling very uncomfortable," Welch added. "I'd like to say a huge thank-you to the person who found Spud and took him to a place of safety, to Jackson's Animal Rescue for kindly transporting him for initial treatment, and to the veterinary teams who provided wonderful care. "Being on his own in a crate in an unfamiliar environment would have been a distressing experience for Spud, and it's heartbreaking to think of him being left to fend for himself," Welch said. "We'd plead with people to seek help and advice from appropriate organizations if they are experiencing difficulties and not to abandon their pets in vulnerable situations like this. It was a remote location, and we could be looking at any number of possible scenarios had he not been found." From left: Spud is held by a rescuer; and the crate he was found in. From left: Spud is held by a rescuer; and the crate he was found in. RSPCA Spud is thought to be aged around 4 to 5 years old. He is now being fostered by a veterinary nurse. He was microchipped, but the registered phone number didn't work, and inquiries as to whom he belonged to are continuing. Spud's story comes against the backdrop of the U.K.'s ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which the RSPCA says is a key influence in abandonments of this kind. The RSPCA's Animal Kindness Index is a survey of more than 7,000 people aged 7 and over, created to understand how the U.K. population thinks about, feels and acts toward animals and animal welfare. The survey found that 52 percent of pet owners are worried about being able to afford vet bills. Pet insurance (33 percent), training (23 percent), bedding and grooming (20 percent) and food (19 percent) remain other economic concerns for pet owners. Beyond financial pressures, behavioral issues in pets became the top cause of people regretting taking on an animal—with some 14 percent of owners admitting they have regrets about getting their pet. Welch said: "Our Animal Kindness Index showed us that costs remain a concern for many pet owners—while issues like pet behavior can be another challenge—but, whatever the reason, abandoning an animal like this is never acceptable. "There's help out there, and the RSPCA website—including our pet care advice and cost of living hub—is a one-stop shop to help owners who may be struggling financially."
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Navy pilot rescued after ejecting from jet off Virginia coast
NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA, Va. (WAVY) — A Navy pilot is recovering after ejecting from an F/A-18E Super Hornet Wednesday morning off the coast of Virginia. LT Jackie Parashar, a public affairs officer for Naval Air Force Atlantic, confirmed to WAVY the mishap took place just before 10 a.m. The pilot, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83, was conducting a routine training flight at the time, the Navy said. The squadron is based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach. The pilot ejected and the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The Navy has not indicated yet what led to the crash. Search and rescue crews responded and located the pilot at 11:21 a.m. Dale Gauding, a spokesperson for Sentara, confirmed the Coast Guard brought a Navy pilot to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Wednesday. The Navy only confirmed the pilot went to the hospital for medical evaluation. They did not provide details on the pilot's condition. The F/A-18E remains in the water at this time. The Navy said the cause of the mishap is under investigation. Another fighter jet from USS Harry S. Truman crashes into sea Fighter jet slips off the hangar deck of a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, one minor injury This is the latest in a series of crashes involving Hampton Roads-based Navy fighter jets. In May, an F/A-18F Super Hornet was lost in the Red Sea after it went over the Norfolk-based USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier during an attempted landing, and crashed into the sea. Both pilots ejected. About a week earlier, another fighter jet, an F/A-18E, also fell from the Truman into the Red Sea while sailors were towing the aircraft. F/A-18 shot down over Red Sea in apparent 'friendly fire' incident: US military In December, an F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the 'Red Rippers' of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Ocean, was shot down during an apparent 'friendly fire' incident. That jet also took off from the Truman. According to Naval Air Systems Command, the F/A-18E Super Hornet costs around $67 million. Continue to check for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
