Twelve hundred Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard?s 27th Brigade Combat Team form the Brigade?s Orion shoulder patch insignia as they complete training for deployment to Afghanistan in April.
The picture, taken on March 19 2008, echoes a photograph that 10,000 members of the New York National Guard?s 27th Division, the ancestor of the 27th BCT, posed for on March 19, 1918, prior to the division?s embarkation for France in World War I.
The division and now the brigade, took it's name from Major General John F. O'Ryan the divison commander. The star's in the patch represent the constellation Orion, while the combined letters stand for New York Divison (NYD).
The Soldiers of the 27th BCT will become the headquarters of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VII responsible for training the Afghan National Army and Police.
The brigade will hold its departure ceremony at Fort Bragg, N. C. on March 27.

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