On September 18, 2007, as the Arrowhead Brigade prepared to redeploy home after 15 months in Iraq, Brigade Commander COL Stephen J. Townsend wrote a message to all Task Force Arrowhead soldiers, families, and friends. It was written from Camp Liberty, Iraq, as a foreword to the brigade's official historical record of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06–08.
The message documented a deployment that had taken the brigade from the Syrian border in Ninevah Province to Baghdad, Najaf, Diwaniyah, and finally to Baqubah. It acknowledged the sacrifice of 56 warrior-heroes killed in action across the task force, nearly 700 wounded, and over 20 soldiers still hospitalized at the time of publication.
It closed with these words:
— COL Stephen J. Townsend, Colonel, Infantry, Commanding
Colonel Stephen J. Townsend took command of the Arrowhead Brigade — the 3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division — at Fort Lewis, Washington in December 2004. He led the brigade through its entire second deployment to Iraq from June 2006 to September 2007, including the Battle of Baqubah.
Born in Germany and raised in an Army family, COL Townsend called Griffin, Georgia home. He graduated from North Georgia College in 1982 with a degree in psychology and was commissioned as an infantry officer. His early career included service with the 2d Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry, 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as Rifle and Anti-Tank Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer. He participated in Operation Urgent Fury — the 1983 invasion of Grenada.
In 1986 he moved to Fort Ord, California, with the 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry, 7th Infantry Division (Light), where he commanded a Rifle Company and served as Battalion Operations Officer. From 1988 to 1996 he served in various positions with the 75th Ranger Regiment and 3d Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia, participating in Operation Just Cause (Panama) and Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti).
In 1997 COL Townsend was assigned to United States Pacific Command in Hawaii, serving first as J5 Country Director for China and later as Special Assistant to the Commander. In 1999 he moved to Fort Drum, New York, supporting Army Reserve Component training. From 2000 to 2002 he commanded the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry — the Polar Bears — of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, leading the battalion on combat operations in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002. From 2003 to 2004 he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G3) for the 10th Mountain Division, with additional duty as Director of Operations (CJ3) for Combined/Joint Task Force 180 at Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan.
His military education includes the Infantry Officer's Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, Armed Forces Staff College, the Army War College, and two Master's degrees. His awards and qualifications include the Air Assault Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Expert and Combat Infantryman's Badge (2d award), and the Ranger Tab.
COL Townsend went on to a distinguished career after the Arrowhead Brigade, ultimately retiring as a four-star General in 2022 after serving as Commander, United States Africa Command. He also commanded XVIII Airborne Corps and led all US and multinational forces fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey T. Du was born on May 20, 1957 in Leyte, Philippines. He entered the United States Army on January 28, 1979. Over the course of his career, CSM Du served in every leadership position from Team Leader to Command Sergeant Major in the Infantry, with assignments spanning Korea, Germany, Hawaii, Fort Campbell, Fort Benning, Dugway, Fort Bliss, and Fort Lewis — as well as two combat tours in Iraq.
His assignments included Scout Section Sergeant and Scout Platoon Sergeant with 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Ranger Instructor, Operations Sergeant, and First Sergeant with 7th Ranger Training Battalion at Dugway, Utah and Fort Bliss, Texas; G-3 Air NCOIC and First Sergeant of Echo Company, 52nd Infantry (Long Range Surveillance) with 1st Corps at Fort Lewis; Intelligence Sergeant, Operations Sergeant, First Sergeant, and Command Sergeant Major for 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment; Task Force Integrator for the Combat Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany; Command Sergeant Major, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis; and, at the time of the 2006–07 deployment, Command Sergeant Major of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade) at Fort Lewis.
CSM Du's military education included Basic Airborne Training, Air Assault School, Jumpmaster School, Ranger School, the US Army First Sergeant Course, and the US Army Sergeants Major Academy (non-resident course, Class 26). He also completed three years of college with a major in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the Visayas in the Philippines.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal (8th Award), Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Air Assault Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.
The 3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division — the Arrowhead Brigade — was the first Stryker Brigade formed for combat in Iraq and the first to return for a second tour. The 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, Sykes' Regulars, was one of four maneuver battalions in the brigade.
The brigade's seven battalions during the 2006–07 deployment were:
Across 15 months of combat, these seven battalions operated across a battle space twice the size of Massachusetts, from the Syrian border in Ninevah Province to the streets of Baqubah in Diyala Province. Fifty-six soldiers assigned or attached to Task Force Arrowhead were killed. Nearly 700 were wounded.