FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – The first troops from Fort Campbell scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan this year are starting to leave, marking the beginning of the 101st Airborne Division’s next major deployment.
On Thursday, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team will hold a colors casing ceremony as the soldiers make the final preparations for their deployment.
The 3,800 troops will be the first of an estimated 17,000 soldiers from Fort Campbell heading there over the next year. Two other infantry brigades and an aviation brigade are also scheduled to deploy, along with the division’s headquarters.
The 3rd Brigade, known as the “Rakkasans,” last deployed to Afghanistan in 2002.