This guide provides information for families on welcoming home soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division after their deployment. It details where and when welcome home ceremonies will take place, how to get notification of ceremony times, and directions to the ceremony location. It also provides guidance for families and guests, including recommended arrival times, what to bring, and how to view the ceremony online for those unable to attend.

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Welcome Home Ceremony Guide
Our Red Dragon Soldiers are coming home! This is a very exciting time and we are very proud
of our Troopers, having completed another successful mission. This guide will give you all the
information you need to welcome your 1st Cavalry Trooper hero home.
How can I find out about the 1st Cavalry Division Welcome Home ceremonies?
You can follow the latest Welcome Home Ceremonies information for the 1st Cavalry Division
Troopers from these official sources.
1. Official notifications begin 18 hours prior to ceremony. Official notifications are made to
one Family member per Soldier. The person notified is designated by the Soldier and
will be contacted by the unit’s Rear Detachment personnel. Two questions to ask your
Soldier before his/her return:
a. What is your flight ‘name’? This is how the welcome home ceremonies will be
listed online. It will generally contain the name of the brigade and a letter or
number indicator to distinguish each flight. An example would be: Black Jack
Alpha (Black Jack being the name for 2nd Brigade and Alpha indicating the flight).
b. Who is the one person designated for notification? Rear Detachment personnel
will only be able to contact ONE person per Soldier to inform them via telephone
when that Soldier’s welcome home ceremony will be. Anyone else wanting
information about that Soldier’s return will need to stay in touch with the one
designated contact.
2. Ceremony times will be posted on the 1st Cavalry Division website 4 days/96 hours prior
to time of ceremony. To see the ceremony times, visit:
http://www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/redeployment/
3. Ceremony times will also be posted on the 1st Cavalry Division’s Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/1stCavDiv
4. You can call 254-618-7604 or 254-287-6051 for automated information on ceremony
times.
5. 1st Cavalry Division can send updates on ceremony times directly to your cell phone
through Twitter. For complete information on how to use and sign up for Twitter alerts,
visit: http://www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/redeployment/twitter.pdf
6. Sign up for the 1st Cavalry Redeployment RSS Feed:
http://www.hood.army.mil/1stcavdiv/RSSfeeds/redeployment.rss.xml
**Disclaimer: Ceremony times are based on the flights that have been scheduled. Final
manifest with Soldiers' names will not be available until 18 hours prior to the ceremony time.
Family members will be notified NLT 12 hours prior to ceremony time. Please remember all

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Welcome Home Ceremony Guide
ceremony information is subject to change. Times between flight and ceremony may vary
depending on size of the flight.
Where is the Welcome Home ceremony held? How do I get there?
Welcome Home ceremonies are conducted outdoors on the 1st Cavalry Division’s Parade Field,
Cooper Field.
Directions to Cooper Field from Main Gate:
Once you have passed the entrance of the Main Gate, proceed to the 3rd light where you will
take a left on 761st Tank Battalion. Continue down this road until you pass the 3rd red light.
You will take the next right on 67th St. Cooper field is in front of Building 28000. You may park
in the family designated parking lot on the east or west side of the building. If picking up a
Soldier, it is recommended to park in the west parking lot. Soldiers will pick up bags from the
west parking lot.
Directions to Cooper Field from Clear Creek:
Once you have passed the entrance of the Clear Creek Gate, proceed to the fourth light where
you will take a right on Battalion. Continue to the next light where you will take a right on 72nd
St. Cooper field is in front of Building 28000. You may park in the family designated parking lot.
You may park in the family designated parking lot on the east or west side of the building. If
picking up a Soldier, it is recommended to park in the west parking lot. Soldiers will pick up bags
from the west parking lot.
When should I arrive for the Welcome Home ceremony?
We recommend that you arrive for the Ceremony at 30 minutes before it begins to ensure that
you do not miss the ceremony if the flight is running early.
What do I do when I get there?
Families will gather in and around the stands at Cooper Field. A DJ will be playing music for
your entertainment and will announce when your Soldiers are arriving at the Field.
There is a heating tent provided for waiting prior to the buses arriving at Cooper Field;
however, please dress warmly if the forecasted weather is cold.
For ceremonies around 6:00 am - 7:30 am, please allow more time for your travel due to
morning Physical Training (PT) traffic.
Feel free to bring your welcome home signs, balloons, or banners to greet your Trooper.

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Welcome Home Ceremony Guide
Note that pets are NOT allowed on Cooper Field so save your pets’ greetings to your Trooper
for when you get home.
Words of Caution:
We know all of the Families and all of our Troopers are eager for their redeployment flights to
arrive back home, but please remember these basic rules:
1. Never give out names of Troopers on the returning flights.
2. Never post specific information on the flights (airline, flight number, date/time, etc).
3. Never assume that everyone who can see your Facebook posts needs to know details of
your welcome home. Save it for the great welcome home pictures you can poster AFTER the
ceremony.
FOR OUR OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS
How do I get to Fort Hood?
For traveling directions to Fort Hood, visit: http://www.hood.army.mil/traveling.aspx.
Should you encounter any difficulties or have questions upon your arrival, contact the Soldier
Welcome and Care Center at 254-287-3832. This office is open 24 hours daily.
What do I need to get onto Fort Hood?
If have DoD decals, you simply need a drivers' license or military ID. Make sure that every adult
in your vehicle also has a photo ID to show at the gate.
If you do NOT have DoD car decals, you will need a photo ID and a Visitor's Pass to gain access
to post at Main Gate, and Clear Creek.
How do I obtain a Visitor’s Pass to get onto Fort Hood?
Requirements for One-Time Entry Pass:
DA Form 3626 – you can obtain this form at the Visitor’s Center or print it and complete
it beforehand (http://armypubs.army.mil/eforms/pdf/A3626.PDF)
Active, Guard & Reserve service members, Dept. of the Army & DoD civilian employees,
retirees and Family members must have a valid photo ID card
Valid driver’s license
Current vehicle registration
Proof of current insurance
License plate number

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Welcome Home Ceremony Guide
Current vehicle registration
Destination: 1st Cavalry Division Welcome Home Ceremony on Cooper Field
Note: If there are any additional drivers to be listed on the temporary pass, they must provide
their Social Security account number, driver’s license number, and state of license origin.
For more information, visit Fort Hood’s Marvin Leath Visitor’s Center webpage at:
http://www.hood.army.mil/visitors.center.aspx?4 or contact them via telephone at 254-287-
9909.
What if I can't be at the Welcome Home ceremony?
Good news! The ceremony will be broadcasted via Livestream starting no earlier than 30
minutes prior to the ceremony time. There are three ways to view:
1. Use your computer to go online and view the ceremony at
http://www.livestream.com/1stcavdiv.
2. The ceremony may also be viewed on Facebook by clicking on the LiveStream link on the
left of the 1st Cavalry Division page (https://www.facebook.com/1stCavDiv) OR on the
link of the left of the 3-82 Field Artillery Regiment Facebook page
(https://www.facebook.com/382FARedDragons).
3. The Livestream application can also be downloaded on smart phones! Download the
free app “Livestream” onto your phone then search for 1stCavDiv on the Livestream
menu. *Be sure to click the blue arrow button at the top right of the application once
it’s downloaded to “follow” the 1stCavDiv channel. This will ensure that you get a
notification on your phone when a new ceremony is about to begin!
We recommend that you set up these systems well before the day of your Soldier’s welcome
home to avoid any last-minute frustrations.
Thank you for your continuous support of your Red Dragon Soldiers!