In June of 2020, the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, deployed to Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The Squadron supported special operations in Northeast Syria to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and partner with the Syrian Defense Forces (SDF) who were under the command of General Mazlum Abdi Kobani. The Squadron was responsible for maintaining the integrity of the Eastern Syria Security Area (ESSA) by enabling freedom of maneuver for special operations, conducting base cluster command and defense throughout the Joint Operations Area, protecting critical petroleum infrastructure from sabotage, and preventing state and non-state actor incursion. Known as Task Force Recon, the Squadron established headquarters in the ESSA and further legitimized the SDF by conducting partner and joint operations throughout Rumaylan, Tal Tamir, Qamishli, Hasaka, Deir ez-Zur, and along the Middle Euphrates River Valley (MERV).

The scene depicts Task Force Recon conducting reconnaissance operations as state actors move near vast oil fields in Northeast Syria. On August 25th, 2020, the Russian military rammed a Task Force Recon MRAP vehicle, which resulted in the strategic response and power projection delivery of Gunfighter Company from the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, and their armored Bradley Fighting Vehicle platforms. The message was clear: in the face of unprovoked state-actor aggression the United States shows strength, resolve, and enduring support to our SDF partners in Syria.