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101st marking first deployment to Europe in almost 80 years

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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Soldiers at Fort Campbell are having a ceremony Tuesday to mark deployment to Europe, the first time 101st Airborne has deployed to Europe in nearly 80 years.

The 101st Airborne and the 101st Airborne Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion will case their colors in the ceremony. Casing of the colors is an Army tradition that represents movement to a new location.

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U.S Army Maj. Gen. JP McGee, right, commanding general, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and Command Sgt. Maj. Veronica Knapp, left, case the division colors during a color casing ceremony at McAuliffe Hall, Fort Campbell, Ky., July 5, 2022. The ceremony was held to officially mark the Screaming Eagle’s deployment to the European Command theater of operations to assure NATO allies and deter Russian aggression in the region. The casing of the colors symbolizes their departure from Fort Campbell, Ky. Their colors will remain cased until they redeploy the European Command theater of operations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sinthia Rosario, 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs)

The Army said the division will also host a ceremony to welcome the new deputy commanding officer-support, Col. Scott Wilkinson, and mark the departure of division chief of staff, Col. Stephen Shrader.

Soldiers from the 101st began arriving in Europe in late June.

The sprawling Fort Campbell Army post straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line.