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Left: Lt. Col Nicholas Snelson, 6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Baily prepare the squadron colors to be cased July 11 for the first time since the unit arrived in Iraq. The squadron colors were cased as part of a Transition of Authority ceremony at Forward Operating Base Sykes as the 6-17th relinquished authority of their mission in the Ninawa province of Northern Iraq to 1st Squadron, 230th Air Cavalry Regiment, an Army National Guard unit with troops from Tennessee and Mississippi. With members of both units standing witness outside the squadron headquarters, Snelson thanked his troopers and said they should be "immensely proud "of their efforts during their 12-month deployment. He went on to say his squadron’s success was in no small part due to the "herculean efforts of so many unsung heroes" from the pilots flying more than 35,000 flight hours to the "wrench turners, medics and aircraft fuelers who just made it happen and kept them in the fight." (Photo by Spc. Geovani Mariscal/1-230th ACR)