Battalion marks safe return from war zone

Members of the 67th Signal Battalion put the ceremonial final touch on a successful mission March 12.

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Annette M. Drowlette/Staff

The 67th Signal Battalion's commander, Lt. Col. Michael J. Plummer (left), and Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Stroh uncase the battalion's colors.

"Every soldier who stood on this field in October 2006 is still on this field or accounted for," said Lt. Col. Michael J. Plummer, the commander of the 67th, at an uncasing of the colors ceremony on Barton Field.

The unit left Fort Gordon in 2006 for a 15-month deployment to Iraq and returned to Fort Gordon in January. During the March 12 ceremony, the unit's flag was removed from its case and unfurled, symbolic of the unit's safe return.

"This is truly a great day in the history of the 67th," Lt. Col. Plummer said.

While in Iraq, the battalion was under the operational control of the 160th Signal Brigade.

Col. John W. Baker, the commander of the 35th Signal Brigade at Fort Gordon, of which the 67th is part, commended the soldiers on a job well done.

"It's always an honor to stand before you as you are the best in the world," he said.

He said the soldiers of the 67th helped deliver a message to terrorists.

"We cannot be driven out by violence," he said.

Another of the brigade's units, the 63rd Signal Battalion, deployed to Iraq for 15 months in July.