U.S. Army Lt. Col. Scott Kirkpatrick (left), commander,

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Scott Kirkpatrick (left), commander, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, gathers the members of 1st Platoon, of the storied Easy Company, 2nd Bn., to extend his gratitude to them for their hard work while on deployment in Afghanistan at Forward Operating Base Wright Dec. 18, 2013. Their mission will end at Wright, assisting in force protection for 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, after having completed their missions in Khost Province. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Eric Provost, Task Force Patriot PAO)