H-Minus fellow Panthers!!!Received this today:
Subject: PANTHER REDEPLOYMENT AND MEMORIAL UPDATE (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Panthers, LTC Rob Campbell here. I am back at Fort Bragg leading the Advance party for the brigade to bring them home in October. I wanted to give you an update on the return of the brigade as well as a few other things. I will be present at the Panther Reunion in October and look forward to meeting many of you. Please pass this message on as needed for those that I have missed.
Brigades Return. Will happen between the 19 October and 3 November. We will have 2 trail flights returning on or about the 8 and 14th of November. Right now Mainbody Flight 1 looks pretty solid for arrival on the 19th. Of course this could change so we will keep you posted. We will not know exact return dates until about 24-48 hours out. Panther 6 and the brigade staff will return on or about the 31st of October. I invite you all to register on the Family Readiness Group website to get the latest information on return flights to include green ramp ceremony times, arrival times at Pope Air Force Base and manifests with the names of returning Paratroopers. You can reach the website at www.armyfrg.org. Ensure you register for the 505th Brigade site and not the subordinate battalions. If you have difficulty email CW4 Dave Lyons at dave.lyons@earthlink.net . All redeployment information will be posted here. You are invited to be present at Green Ramp when the Panthers march in.
Pope AFB Access. We wont be able to make this any easier than the current system, which for non military card holders will require a pass. The strip map to Green Ramp on Pope is posted on our FRG website. We are telling families to be present 2hours prior to the flight arrival time. Extra time should be planned for those who need passes. Signs are posted to green ramp on Bragg and Pope to assist.
1/2 Day Schedule. Commanders will have freedom to set the next report time following the initial arrival of paratroopers. I have attached the slide I used to brief families. It shows the generic schedule based on aircraft arrival.
Brigade Memorial. The brigade will conduct a memorial on the 16th of January 2008 to honor our fallen from this deployment. We will invite our Goldstar Families to this. They will have chance to meet the commanders and paratroopers that served with their loved ones. More information will follow on this event but we wanted you to have the date.
Sheets. We are coordinating for an additional 350 sheets for our paratroopers in barracks. I know some of you have set up some barracks rooms yourselves. Just wanted you to know that we will get all the sheets we need before the main body flights show up. Each battalion has personnel assigned to sign for sheets.
Brigade Change of Command. We are finalizing this with our Division headquarters. Should be around the 17th of January 2008. More to follow.
Brigade Redeployment Hotline. We will install a hotline tomorrow and test it out as an additional tool for families to call in and get info. This line will handle up to 400 calls simultaneously. We will updated it 24/7 with the most current information. Will post the phone # on the FRG website and email it out to you.
We have a great team assembled here to manage the redeployment of our fellow paratroopers. Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns with the return of the brigade.
Hope this information helps. Look forward to meeting you over the coming weeks.
H-Minus!
LTC Rob Campbell
Brigade Executive Officer (Rear)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
Hopefully my return trip will coincide with one of these returns flights. I could only pray to be able to bring my fellow Panthers home.........
If you are a alumni of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and are not a member of the 505th Panther Asociation, then you are WRONG Airborne!1 Get down and beat your face!
After which go here: http://www.505thpantherassoc.com/
(I know, I know, the website will be worked on, but it's all we got right now.....)
Fill out the membership application and send in your money! MOVE OUT AIRBORNE!!!
LOAD CLEAR! LOAD CLEAR!
To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard