FORT DRUM -- Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Fort Drum to greet 10th Mountain Division soldiers returning to their home base from Iraq.
Biden and his wife Jill spoke during a ceremony for the Second Brigade Combat Team on Wednesday afternoon at the northern New York fort.
The 3,600 member unit has been in eastern Baghdad since October, the most recent of its three deployments to Afghanistan and four to Iraq. Not all of the team's members have returned. The last flight of soldiers out of Iraq will arrive next week.
Soldiers at the event told CNY Central reporter Jessica Cain that they were excited to hear what the Vice President had to say. Biden talked about how proud he is of those soldiers returning home and those still fighting in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He reaffirmed that combat will end and the United States will start withdrawing troops at the end of August.
Biden also said it’s important to remember to take care of the soldiers who have returned, but to also keep in mind those who are still fighting.
While the Combat Team was in Iraq, they assisted in training Iraqi police forces. Biden says the U.S. is committed to turning power over to the Iraqis soon.
There was one combat related death while the team was in Iraq for this tour. Overall there was a 59% decrease in insurgent activity, according to Major Timothy Hyde, the SBCT's public information officer.
This welcome-home event is one of many this summer at Fort Drum as the United States winds down its combat mission in Iraq.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
