CAMP HOVEY, Republic of Korea — The final group of Soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, to deploy to the Republic of Korea arrived at Osan Air Base Oct. 28. The arrival marks the 12th group of Soldiers from the “Devil” brigade to arrive on the peninsula, not including those that arrived on advanced teams in order to set the stage for the rest of the brigade’s arrival.

     In total, the brigade deployed approximately 3,700 Soldiers over the course of four weeks. Each leg consisted of roughly 300 to 400 Soldiers flying from Fort Riley, Kansas, the unit’s home station, to the air base in Korea before busing to their final location of either Camp Casey or Camp Humphreys.

     The brigade has taken responsibility for the rotational mission in South Korea, replacing the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and will be the third rotational unit to take on the mission.

     The 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., officially took charge of the mission in Korea during a transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Casey Oct. 27. During the ceremony, the brigade uncased their colors, representing the start of their mission in country, and the 1st ABCT, 1st Cav. Div. cased their colors, signifying the end of their mission and the beginning of their return journey back home to Fort Hood, Texas.

     Operating under the command of the 2nd Infantry Division, the “Devil” brigade’s mission on the Korean peninsula is to deter North Korean aggression and, if called upon, to “Fight Tonight” in defense of their South Korean allies.

     “The Devil brigade is trained and ready for its mission,” Col. Timothy Hayden, the brigade’s commander, said during the brigade’s casing ceremony at Fort Riley, Kansas.

     “The disciplined 1st Brigade Soldiers are the most prepared, highly trained brigade combat team in the world,” added Brig. Gen. Patrick Frank, the 1st Inf. Div. deputy commanding general.

     In preparation for their Korean deployment, the Soldiers of the 1st ABCT underwent months of training that included various home-station exercises followed by a rigorous month-long rotation to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.

     Their training “at NTC was nothing short of incredible,” Hayden said. “I think the attitude of all Soldiers was really the most impressive thing to watch as they got better every day, as they mastered their craft and then how to improve their ability to contribute to the greater team to be successful on the modern battlefield.”

     While in Korea, the brigade’s Soldiers will continue to train alongside their Korean allies in order to maintain a constant state of readiness should they be called upon to carry out any mission handed down to them.