Marne 6 Sends
MG Chris Norrie
Honorary President
Greetings to all Dogface Soldiers and friends of the Marne Division!
First off, I want to congratulate Spartan Brigade on a simply incredible field training exercise. Last month, the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team (2nd ABCT), 3rd Infantry Division, concluded a staggering 45 days in the field, training to hone their warfighting capabilities, certify their battalions on all their requirements, and improve the brigade’s readiness. The brigade, composed of approximately 4,500 Soldiers, set multiple 3ID milestones during this training. They operated as a consolidated brigade, while training primarily at night, providing a tough, realistic environment in which to train. They used the entirety of the Fort Stewart training area, putting their maneuver and sustainment operations to the test across 280,000 acres of terrain. And they did it all while continuing to meet Army missions such as restructuring their units (ARSTRUC) and supporting the 82nd Airborne in two different training exercises. The Spartan Brigade will take the lessons learned from Marne Focus and continue to get stronger. We are incredibly proud of the Spartan Brigade as they proved why 3rd ID is the ‘hammer’ of the XVIII Airborne Corps, forging the future of Armor.
Our Falcon Brigade (3rd Combat Aviation Brigade) recently welcomed their new brigade commander. Colonel Robert Harless assumed command this month and already has his forces answering our Nation’s call, as Falcon deployed nearly 200 Soldiers to Fort Huachuca, AZ, to support operations at our Nation’s Southern Border. While there, they will aid in moving personnel, equipment, and supplies, as well as providing vital medical evacuation capabilities.
Our Provider Brigade (3rd Division Sustainment Brigade) continues to sustain all we do in the 3rd Infantry Division. They provided a vital airborne resupply operation to Spartan Soldiers in the field and deployed Soldiers to the National Training Center to support the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence, testing some of the Army’s newest automated sustainment systems. Project Convergence features service members from every branch of the military testing new technologies that continue to put the United States on the cutting edge of readiness and lethality.
Meanwhile in Europe, our Raider Brigade continues to build combat readiness and maintain key friendships with our NATO allies. Raider Brigade proudly represented the 3rd ID at the International Tank Challenge in Grafenwoehr, Germany, and was invited to participate in a ceremony in Colmar, France, where they honored the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Colmar Pocket, where Audie Murphy earned his Medal of Honor.
We are incredibly proud of the work our Dogface Soldiers have done to answer the next call. We are honored to be part of this historic division and look forward to this year’s summer celebration, June 23-27, to highlight all our Soldiers’ hard work.
Rock of the Marne!