The Department of the Army has notified the 3rd Infantry Division that additional units that will deploy to Afghanistan later this year.

The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade and the 3rd Sustainment Brigade will deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, though the exact dates have not been released.

The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade is expected to deploy to Regional Command-South for nine months. This is their second deployment to Afghanistan. The aviation brigade will provide aviation support for Regional Command-South, one of four International Security Assistance Force regional commands responsible for all ISAF operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade will advise and assist its Afghan partners.

The brigade is commanded by Col. Allan Pepin. It includes five aviation units, as well as the brigade headquarters: 1-3 Attack Battalion, 2-3 General Support Aviation Battalion, 3-17 Cavalry Squadron, 4-3 Assault Battalion and 603rd Aviation Support Battalion.

The 3rd Sustainment Brigade is scheduled to deploy to Kandahar, Afghanistan, with its Special Troops Battalion for nine months. This will be the brigade headquarters’ first deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The unit will be assigned to the Joint Sustainment Command-Afghanistan led by 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) from Fort Knox and will provide sustainment support to service members and coalition forces operating within regional commands, South, Southwest and West. The unit also will support advise and assist missions with the Afghan national security forces.

The 3rd Sustainment Brigade provides logistical support to the 3rd Infantry Division while at Fort Stewart, and was the Army’s first fully modular sustainment brigade.  The brigade consists of the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the 260th Quartermaster Battalion and Special Troops Battalion.

Currently, three companies and two detachments from the 3rd Sustainment Brigade are deployed in Afghanistan, along with another two platoons and a detachment serving within the Central Command area of operation.