Bowie Edition - Arkansas National Guard

On the coverHome from Iraq for less than three years, the 39th Infantry Brigade CombatTeam finds itself preparing for a second deployment to the war-torn regionmaking history in the process. The Brigade is the first National Guard BCT toreturn to Iraq. Col. Kendall Penn, 39th commander, and the Arkansas leadershipfought hard for a home-station mobilization in order to provide Soldierswith a more ‘Family friendly’ deployment. Training in their own backyard hasprovided Soldiers to spend more time with Family, and at the same time, receiveexcellent training from the combat veterans that served in the last deployment.Cover photograph/story by Maj. Craig Heathscott.206th — leaving the ‘big guns’ behind 8Special Guests 10Back 2 Iraq 12Fighting the ’enemy within’ 1626 Training in our own backyardArtilleryman 2830 Employer Support Strong for 39thWelcome Home 3234 A ’cav’ traditionBringing a Knife to a Gunfight 36

As any military tacticianwill tell you—to win the battleyou must know your enemy.As any public affairs officerwill tell you, the media isnot our enemy; therefore,we don’t need a ’nocomment’ defense.One of my major points is thatthe days of ’no comment’ arelong gone in military public affairs.Quite the opposite is trueanymore with the influx of embeddedmedia into our ranks—we’re quick to give open, honestcomments to a reporter.And, from my 21 year perspectivein the business— for whatit’s worth— the military is betterserved with this approach.Switching gears a moment, I want to addressthe internet, web pages, blogs andany other form of media that’s out therefor transmitting pictures and informationback home to family. We definitely wantour family to know what we’re doing duringtraining as well as when we’re in Iraq,but again, mission first, so we must keepoperational security (OPSEC) at the frontof our brains at all time. Does the picturea site within the website to store your picturesand newsletters for your families tosee. It’s not my intent to stifle your communicationswith family; however, weneed to be good stewards of the informationwe share and how we share it.Again, my mission is clear— ‘Tell the Soldier’sStory’— and I need your help in doingso. As we move into Mississippi and onIn case you were not aware,the number one objective ofpublic affairs is to ’tell the Soldier’sstory’ and keep theAmerican public informed onwhat their military is doingaround the world. We do thisby addressing all media queries in a timelyfashion, and we do it with the utmost honesty.We’ve opened up ranks to the statemedia— particularly, the Arkansas DemocratGazette who embedded with the 39thduring the last deployment.In accomplishing our objective, it’s importantto allow reporters to have access toeach and every one of our Soldiers so thatthey can get a well-rounded story. So, ifyou’ve taken time out of your trainingsince October to participate in a media interview,I, first of all, want to say thankyou. But as I say in my briefs, you have aright to say no when it comes to a mediainterview, and most importantly of all, anreporter/interview should never takeprecedence over safety when it comes totraining or an actual mission. Please don’tforget that. We are going to Iraq to conducta mission— a dangerous one atthat— and safety must always come first.you’re sending over the internet containclassified images? Could they somehowjeopardize our mission in Iraq?The military has very strict guidelines regardingthe use of web sites and blogs bySoldiers. If you don’t understand theseguidelines, address your concerns withme, and I’ll get you the answers you need.The last thing any of us want is to betransmitting information in a blog thataides our enemy against our cause. So,before you decide to create a website or ablog, you are advised to ask questions.Over the last couple months, I’ve heardrumblings of battalions creating their ownwebsites; however, we need to be surethe chain of command is aware of these;particularly myself as your public affairsofficer. The Arkansas Guard has a publicwebsite, and I’m currently working to ensure—hopefully— that each battalion hasforward to Iraq, I’d ask that you assist mein the content for our magazine. Whetherit’s a quick email on an interesting/potential story or a digital image you take,I hope you’ll share those with me. Yourhelp is greatly appreciated.Thanks again for those that have participatedin interviews to this point; much appreciated.Send your emails tocraig.heathscott@us.army.mil. I want toemphasize the ‘Craig’ in my email as manyof you may remember the public affairsofficer for the last deployment in 2003 was‘Chris,’ or Cpt. Chris Heathscott, who bythe way is your state public affairs officer.Surprisingly enough, many of you haveconfused me for him already. Guess thepressure is now on me to equal the job hedid then. Stay safe.Publication StaffCommander 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team — Col. Kendall PennBrigade Command Sergeant Major — Command Sgt. Maj. Steven VeazeyBrigade Public Affairs Officer — Maj. Craig HeathscottStaff Writer — Sgt. John HeavnerThe Bowie Edition is a publication of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team — Public Affairs Office.This family support newsletter contains official information and complies with provisions of AR 360-1.Questions and/or submissions should be addressed to the editor at craig.heathscott@us.army.mil. ThePublic Affairs Office reserves the right to edit any submissions.

Greetings, Bowie Team! Withalmost half of the Brigade’spre-mobilization trainingcomplete, I wanted to take an opportunityto address each of you and letyou know what a magnificent jobyou’re doing. We are a brigade preparingfor war—we must train with a‘warrior’ mentality. Regardless of ourmission, Iraq is a dangerous placeand we must always keep that in theforefront of everythingwe do. Alwaysremember, we trainas we fight. Eventhe most mundanetasks take on an aireof importance as thatvery task could savea life, yours.I target my comments on ‘trainingas we fight’ to everyone withinthe brigade, regardless of rank,position or age. But now, I’d liketo focus my comments on fourvery distinct groups within our brigade—combatveterans, thosethat didn’t deploy last time orhave never deployed, new BowieTeam members and, finally, ourFamilies.First, combat veterans. I go intothis deployment with a vastamount of confidence based on a brigade with nearly 50percent of its returning Soldiers with combat experiencefrom the last deployment. You have been there and knowwhat to expect in Iraq. At the same time, I ask that youkeep your guard up and don’t rely solely on your past experience.We face a thinking enemy who changes his Tactics,Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) based on what hesees us doing. Many of the TTPs we used during OIF II areno longer valid based on changes made by the enemy. Iencourage you to keep an open mind as you go throughyour training at Camp Shelby. The Army has the most upto-datemethods that will address how we need to operatethis time around. Maintain your positive attitude and focuson the details of your training—take nothing for granted.We are faced with a huge undertaking with the premobilizationtraining we are conducting right now. Again, Ilook to your leadership to make it successful. My decisionto fight for 90 days of pre-mobilization training was threefold—ittakes care of Families, it takes care of employers,and most importantly, we get better training for our Soldiers.By taking a little extra time, we were able to postponethe Brigade’s mobilization date until after the holidays.This allows our Soldiers to spend valuable time withtheir Family, while providing a specific date on which employerscan begin to hire new employees.Secondly, I want to focus on those of you that did not deployin 2003 or have never deployed to Iraq. I’m simplyasking you to lean on our combat veterans for guidance.Understand, I have put before them a somewhat dauntingtask of not just training you to standard but to exceed standards.I want you to be the best of the best, and I’m confidentthat you are up to this challenge.Arkansas is setting the standard with this home station mobilization.The eyes of the country are on us to see if wecan get it right. But first, we had to define what ‘right’looked like. As I’ve walked the grounds of Fort Chaffee, Ihave seen excellent training and motivation from each ofyou. What this tells me is that we know what ‘right’ lookslike. You are doing a magnificent job of demonstrating tothe entire nation what a great job Arkansans can do.The third group I want toaddress are those of youthat came from outsidethe Brigade to fill ourranks and get us to ourappropriate strength tocomplete this mission.You make us a true ArkansasBrigade and forthat I thank you. Weshould all take pride inthat as members of theArkansas Guard.You come from manydifferent places, fromevery major command inthe Arkansas Army NationalGuard. . . regardless,it doesn’t matter.You are all now membersof the Bowie Team.We have no “fillers,” onlyBowie team members.Many of you volunteeredand others were told youwere coming on this deployment.I just ask thatyou show your commitmentthrough your actions. Make the Soldier on your rightproud to serve with you. Make the Soldier on your leftproud to serve with you. Make your Family and America asa whole proud of you for serving your country.The final group I want to address is one that is common tous all—our Families. This home station mobilization hashelped us create a ‘Family friendly’ environment for our Soldiers.We learned just how important that this is from ourlast deployment. A happy Soldier is one that gets time withhis or her Family. I have instructed my battalion commandersto keep Family as a top priority.With that said, the best thing I can do for your Family is toproperly prepare you for the months that are ahead. I wantto give you as much time on the front end as I possibly canbut when it comes down to quality training and Family Ihave to choose training.While addressing four very different groups, I now turnback to all of you and ask for your help in making thesefour into ONE. Together, we make up the 39 th Infantry BrigadeCombat Team. We have a challenge before us anddivided we are assured of an unsuccessful outcome, yet,together we will ensure that the light at the end of the tunnelisn’t a train. We will succeed.

B owie team,hooah! The motivationwithin the Brigade isoutstanding, andeach of youshould be commendedfor yourefforts to thispoint. But don’tbe quick to takea pat on the backat the end of therace. . . this is amarathon, and inreality, we’re noteven a half mile intothe course; a coursethat will test everyounce of your endurance.And as important as this race is to theBrigade, I want each of you to stop fora minute to think about what it takesto win the race—You! By this, I meanthat I need each and every one of youto remain healthy and safe if we areeventually going to reach that finishline. . . complete the mission.Enough of the analogies and back torealities; did you realize that since westarted this training on October 1 thatwe have lost four of our fellow comrades?Four. Ladies and gentlemen,that’s four to many and losing anotherone of you is not a reality we want toface. Granted, these troops were involvedin accidents; however, we aregoing to have to be even more cognizantof our surroundings. Safety is ofthe utmost importance in everythingwe do. There is no training that is soimportant that we are willing to putsafety to the wayside. And, the sameconcept should hold true for your personaltime.I want each of you to think aboutsafety the next time you go over thespeed limit because you’re runninglate. Are you in such a hurry thatyou’re willing to pass on a double yellowline? Do you automatically pushdown on the gas when the light turnsyellow or will you slow down nexttime? Think about the seconds that itwould take to put that seat belt on. . .. .seconds that could save your life.Simple things we often don’t thinkabout. But I need you to focus onthem Bowie team! And, I need you todo it now. Losing a Soldier under anycircumstance is a tragedy. I’m convincedthat when it’s my time, it’s mytime; but I’m also convinced we don’thave to accelerate that time.Four Soldiers in such a short time. Ifwe were to continue to lose Soldiers atthat pace we would be on track to losemore Soldiers to accidents than we lostin combat last deployment before weever land in Iraq. We need to take that‘battle buddy’ concept outside the battlefieldas well and apply it to our everydaylife. If you see a fellow Soldieracting in an unsafe manner you owe itto them to address the issue. You oweit to them, regardless of your rank!At this point, you’re thinking—SergeantMajor is preaching, right? Well, if that’swhat it takes, I’ll preach, and I’ll askthe Brigade Chaplain— Lt. Col.Rohrer—to come and help me. I’ll takeall the help I can get to protect my Soldiers.But team, it has to start withyou. You have to focus on safety andsafety should never take a rest.While I’m preaching, I want to addressanother issue that’s been on mymind—uniformity. For those of you thathave been at Chaffee already you’vepossibly been on the receiving end ofone of my tirades about being out ofuniform. And again, it’s probably runningthrough your mind, ‘Sergeant Majoris on a rampage today.’ But team,there is a reason behind my madness.Let me explain. In short, uniformitygoes back to discipline. Safety goesback to discipline. Keeping Soldiersalive goes back to discipline. Team,we’ve got to get disciplined! I can confirmthat we train as we fight. I’ve seenyour effort, and I’ve been very pleasedwith that effort. But, if we can’t get thesimple things right—like wearing theproper uniform—how can I expectwe’re going to do the right things oncewe’re in country. Team, mistakes getpeople killed. Undisciplined Soldiers getpeople killed. And regardless of ourmission this time, we are going into avery hostile and unstable part of theworld once again. I need each of youto think about what it takes to be thebest Soldier you can be, and then Ineed you to act on that. Do it for yourself.Do it for your battle buddy. Do itfor Family. And, do it for me.Bowie team, I’m convinced that whenwe return from Iraq the country will besinging our praises. We’ll come hometo parades, flag-waving loved ones anda proud nation. But those things don’tcome without a price, and I’m willingto pay a price to get them. But thehighest price I’m willing to pay is longhours, hard work, high standards anddiscipline. I am not willing to pay theultimate price—my Soldiers. Especiallywhen I know that it’s not necessary.We control our destiny. It’s up to eachof you.So, if your first sergeant tells you fullbattle rattle is the uniform of the day.You know what you need to do. Ifyou’re running late, and you comeupon a yellow light you know what todo. Now, take what you ‘know’ and actupon that and just do it.If I’ve yet to convince you of the importanceof safety and discipline askyourself this question, or better yet,imagine this scenario—you’ve died becauseyou ran that red light and gotside swiped; imagine what your Familywill go through. . . your mother, father,spouse or child. You’re really going tobe late now—forever kind of late. It’snot worth it team.In closing, be the Soldiers I know youcan be. Bowie team, hooah!

Maj. Damon Cluck is returningto Iraq, butthis time he returns asa battalion commander.He brings with him over 700 Soldiers,but this time over half arecombat veterans.The battalion is designated asfield artillery, but this time the‘big guns’ are staying behind.Why does an artillery battalion leavetheir Howitzers stateside as they headDuring the last deployment, Cluck saidthe battalion had a gun (105mm Howitzer)‘hot’ at all times and were assignedone of the largest battle spacesmeasuring nearly 26 by 30 kilometers.Having pulled the lanyard nearly 1,500times sending 105mm mortar roundsdownrange into an area north of Baghdadin the last deployment, theseartillerymen might feel a little incompletewithout their M102 Howitzers.But, their experience in 2003 also preparedthem for the current mission.In addition to their artillery mission,the battalion was charged with manyother missions outside their specialty,so they have experience on their side.for VIPs and civil-military operations inaddition to our artillery mission,” saidCluck, who served as the Battalion’straining officer (S-3) during the last deployment.“The obvious benefit was that we wereable to rotate everyone into these variousmissions which helped us fightcomplacency. We’re now able to takeadvantage of those lessons learned aswe go into this deployment knowingwe’re leaving the artillery behind,” hesaid.Cluck is quick to point out the benefitsof having such a large number of combatveterans going to Iraq this time.And, just as importantly,he notes theimportance of the‘lessons learned’ fromalso conducting somany different typesof missions in 2003.Like his counterpartsfrom the other battalionswithin the Brigade,Cluck’s biggestconcern is complacency.A problem thatthe Brigade’s topenlisted Soldier—Command Sgt. Maj.Steven Veazey—hastermed, “the enemywithin.”off to war? The short answer is themission doesn’t require them. Instead,these artillerymen will fall back on theirbasic infantry skills and assist in providingconvoy security as well as forceprotection. Their primary weapon systemfor this mission will be the M4 rifle—comparativelyspeaking, it’s muchsmaller, yet equally effective in engagingthe enemy.And like his fellow leaders within the39 th Infantry Brigade, Cluck is payingparticular attention to the experienceto ensure it doesn’t become a hindrance.“During the last deployment, we did alittle bit of everything—cordon andsearch, route clearance, counterrocket,counter-mortar, convoy security“From a very positivestandpoint, experienceis a good thing. But,from a negativestandpoint, complacency can kill you,”he said. “We just can’t go in and relyon past experience.”The fact that he was able to rotatetroops into different missions in 2003helped prevent against complacencyissues. Nonetheless, Cluck will have tofind a new way to battle the issue thistime.

“Last time, if you guarded the frontgate you only did it for three months.If you did convoy security, it again,was just a three-month mission. TheSoldier knew another mission wasahead,” said Cluck. “In a short amountof time, Soldiers will grow complacent;particularly since it’s the same location.And, this time since wedon’t have the artillerymission it becomes evenmore challenging, yet achallenge we’re comfortabletaking.”As of now, during thepre-deployment phase,his best protectionagainst complacency isbattlefield intensity duringtraining. Cluck is ensuringthat his Soldiers are focusedand motivatedwhile training on theirWarrior Training Tasks(WTT), all 40 of them.While they won’t besending 105mm roundsdownrange this time, they did at leastget one last opportunity this summerto practice their profession before deployingto Iraq. During annual trainingin July, at a time when the Iraq missionset for the 39 th was still very immature,the 206 th sent many roundsdownrange towards Fort Chaffee’s infamousPotato Hill—a hill made famousfor it’s constant pounding by artilleryover the years.The Soldiers weren’t the only oneswatching those rounds strike PotatoHill. Sporting a Kevlar and a brand newset of ACUs, Arkansas’ Governor MikeBeebe braved the heat to watch theartillerymen in action. The governorspent a few hours on the ground tosee first hand the Brigade’s preparationfor the 2008 mobilization.While the artillery pieces are collectingdust here stateside during this deployment,it won’t be long before the dustbecomes a permanent fixture to theseweapons. Currently, the battalion isscheduled to field a new artillery piece,the M119, in fiscal year 2011.The current 105mm Howitzers originallycame to the Arkansas Guard inthe mid 1980s from Indiana, accordingto Cluck. At the time, the artillerypieces were already aged since theywere made around the 1967-68 timeframeand had been used in the VietnamWar. Considering they have beenfiring artillery for nearly 40 years, theseartillery pieces have proven quite durable.But even ‘durable’ needs maintenanceevery once in a while. Cluck pointedout that many of the guns today aretwo-toned, meaning they have bothgreen and desert tan parts on it. Thedesert tan components on these weaponssystems are courtesy of similarguns captured from the Iraqi Army.“The interesting thing is that when we“Last time, if you guarded the front gate you only didit for three months. If you did convoy security, itagain, was just a three-month mission. The Soldierknew another mission was ahead,” said Maj. DamonCluck. “In a short amount of time, Soldiers will growcomplacent; particularly since it’s the same location.And, this time since we don’t have the artillery missionit becomes even more challenging, yet a challengewe’re comfortable taking.”got to Iraq last time we found nineM102 Howitzers that the Iraqi Armyhad captured from the Iranian’s duringtheir war. They were all 1970-71model, and we were able to use thespare parts to keep our guns going. Allof their guns were painted desert tan,so you’ll see a lot of that on our weapons,”he said.The ability to improvise is a staplequality of the Army Soldier, and whilethe color scheme may be off just a tadyou can ensure that the steel directedtowards its target didn’t have the sameproblem. The accuracy of these bigguns is pretty high, especially whenthe crew members working them havetrained together for many years as isthe case in Cluck’s battalion.And while the 206 th will be leaving theirarsenal of big guns behind during thisdeployment, they carry with them confidencethat they’ve successfully completedthe Iraq mission once before.These artillerymen are headed back tofamiliar territory, but this time, theirchallenge is much different.

Since October when the Bowie Team beganconducting individual training at theFort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center,the Brigade has been on the national spotlight.Several high-profile visitors havestopped by to view Soldier training. Arkansas’Governor Mike Beebe (pictured left)shows his support for the 39th with a Brigadet-shirt while sporting his military uniform.Above, Maj. Gen. Jay W. Hood, commanderof 1st Army— East Division, takestime to speak with Bowie Soldiers to get abetter understanding of the effectivenessof the training being conducted in thestate. At right, Maj. Gen. William Wofford,Arkansas’ adjutant general, has spent acouple days on the ground viewing Soldiertraining. Wofford is responsible for ‘signingoff’ on all training that is taking place inthe state. Maj. Gen. (retired) Don C. Morrowvisits with Brig. Gen. Richard Swanduring an employer support trip. (Below) ASoldier shows Maj. Gen. Ronald Chastain,previous Bowie Brigade commander, theSoldier readiness processing operationstaking place at Chaffee. Mr. Robert Smiley,Office of the Secretary of the Army forManpower and Reserve Affairs, addressesthe employer support group and answerstheir questions related to troop deploymentswithin the National Guard. Immediatelybelow, Gov. Beebe takes time out toshake hands with troops from 1/206thField Artillery before watching the Soldiersput on a display of artillery fire. (Bottom ofthe page) Employers pose with their Soldiersduring a recent visit to Chaffee.

Vivid memoriesof Iraq are stillfresh for nearly1,600 Arkansas citizen-Soldiers faced withleading their ‘BowieBrigade’ back to thewar-torn region for yetanother deployment.This is a second tour ofduty only three yearsremoved from their returnto American soil.With them, they bringan equal number oftroops absent of warstories from the 39 thInfantry Brigade CombatTeam’s 2003 deployment.And while they may not have war storiesto tell yet, they know the storyline—39th returns to Iraq. The preludeto this return began the first day of Octoberas approximately 3,200 membersof the 39 th IBCT reported to their localarmories on state active duty. The remainderof the year will be spent conductingpre-mobilization training in Arkansasat one of three training sites:Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center,Camp Joseph T. Robinson or theunit’s local armory.The mission facing the 39 th is considereda support operation, which ismuch different than what the Soldierswere faced with in 2003 when they leftfor Iraq. But much like the last deployment,the threat level is still relativelyhigh considering one of the primaryroles for the Brigade will be providingsecurity for convoys. Many of the incidentsinvolving Soldiers have occurredon the roads as a result of ImprovisedExplosive Devices (IED)Once the federal mobilization goes intoeffect in January, Soldiers will beginsaying their first ‘good-bye’s’ to Familyas they board busses headed toneighboring Mississippi, in particular,Camp Shelby. At Shelby, Soldiers willparticipate in collective training conductingsquad, platoonand companysizeddrills as theywill have the individualtraining requirementsmastered.The trainingtime on the groundin Mississippi willvary but Familiesshould be preparedto see their Soldierleave for Iraqsometime aroundthe March timeframe.While reality of‘boots on theground’ in Iraq isstill some timeaway, the Brigadecommander continuesto watch hisplan for a successfuldeployment unfold.While not voidof obstacles, thepathway to successalmost certainlystarts with an experiencedbrigadeof combat veterans. So much so thatthe 39 th threw out the playbook fromthe 2003 deployment and revampedthe way the unit is training up forIraq—first of all, it’s being done in Arkansas,our own backyard.Initial signs of success can be found introop motivation. Early mornings, lateevenings and rainy conditions have notbeen enough to hinder a successfulstart that the Brigade experienced inOctober and throughout November.When these Soldiers return from their12-month federal deployment in 2009,the war stories they will tell shouldtake on a different slant as they will

have a different mission. Different inmany ways, similar in one—Iraq is stilla dangerous place. The 39 th ’s missionis considered a support operation witha primary focus of protecting supplyconvoys.The Verbal OrderJust seven months earlier, Arkansaslearned in a verbal order that the history-richBowie Brigade was makinghistory again by becoming the first NationalGuard IBCT to return to Iraq.While the details of the deploymentwould follow over the course of thesummer, he immediately began planningfor the reality of deployment.The brigade commander, Col. KendallPenn, told his leadership team, “Wedon’t have the luxuryof sitting idle in anticipationof a mobilizationorder. . . absolutelynot! We have tofocus on our Warrior(Training) Tasks andget these young menand women trainedwhile taking advantageof our past experiencein Iraq.”ensure success. In his mind, success isattained by bringing every deployingSoldier back in January of 2009—everySoldier.“At the end of the day, we will definesuccess through our Soldiers and theirsafe return,” he said.Training at HomePenn’s vision for preparing the Brigadewould physically begin to take shapewhen over 2,000 Soldiers convergedon the Fort Chaffee Maneuver TrainingCenter in Northwest Arkansas for theirregularly scheduled annual training.Focusing on individual training, eachSoldier would begin a process that requireseach to successfully complete 40Warrior Training Tasks. These tasks,which include over 400 sub-tasks,range from weapons qualification tospent in a barracks and not at homewith wife, husband, kids . . . . . athome in general. This opportunitygives us a much happier Family and,ultimately, a happier Soldier, which isan ingredient for success. We need ourSoldiers happy and motivated so thatthey can concentrate on training duringthe duty day. We can’t overlook this.”The creation of a special battalion oftraining evaluators from Arkansas’233 rd Regional Training Institute was amonumental undertaking as it was responsiblefor developing trainers andtraining as well as a plan to track the3,200 Soldiers going through the training.Everything had to be built fromscratch.Documenting that each Soldier has“Regardless of ourmission, Iraq is a dangerousplace. Andwith that said, we willnot fail our troops bynot providing themthe best, most realisticand relevant training.We’ve got to mirrorbattlefield intensityin our training. Thelives of these youngmen and women aredependent upon it,”he said.The strong emphasis Penn placed onFamily has never waned as his visionincluded creating an environment oftraining that would lessen the hardshipon his Soldiers and their Families. Thisis a hardship that he himself enduredas a battalion commander in the lastdeployment as the Brigade, upon mobilization,went directly to Fort Hood,Texas for training—leaving their Familiesbehind. Focusing on Family inwords and actions, he was committedto taking advantage of the experienceof his combat veterans as well as creatinga brigade—an Arkansas Family—of Arkansas-based Soldiers to carry the39 th back to Iraq. And, he was determinedthat this ‘Family’ would train inthe Natural State.Facing a different mission this deployment,Penn remains determined tolearn from the first deployment andmake the necessary adjustments toindividual movement techniques on abattlefield. Every Soldier must achieveproficiency in each of the tasks.While Soldiers are well immersed intraining at this point, June’s annualtraining marked the culmination of anothervision—home station mobilization.The intent was to carve out agroup of instructors from the Brigade’s1,600 combat veteran contingency totrain the Brigade during the premobilizationperiod. Once the conceptand funding was approved by the NationalGuard Bureau, it instantly createda caveat that allows Soldiers moreFamily time; something they did notget in the last deployment.“Last time, the Brigade was deployedfor a total of 18 months in which six ofthat was spent training stateside,” saidPenn. “Most of it was in (Fort) Hood;therefore, the end of the duty day wascompleted each individual task andtheir related sub-tasks has proven tobe a monumental event; however,leaders are able to track the progressof their Soldiers on a daily basis. Whilea monumental task, the tracking pieceof the training is as important as thetraining itself in the eyes of Maj. Gen.William D. Wofford, the adjutant generalof Arkansas, who will ultimatelyhave to ‘sign off’ that the 39 th warriorsreceived the necessary individual training.In short order, the battalion had toidentify potential candidates to serveas training evaluators, train them andget them a course curriculum to focuson, all before annual training. Sincehome station mobilization of this magnitude—over3,200 soldiers—is new,the Arkansas Guard is under a spotlightby state and national leadership. Thestate is under intense pressure to

make sure this training, and everythingassociated with it, is done right. And,Command Sgt. Maj. James Megoloff, isconfident he can identify what ‘right’looks like.“When I was asked to come in andhelp build this, I was told that I neededto see what ‘right’ looks like and thenbuild it,” he said. “Negative, we are goingto set what ‘right’ looks like, andwe want to make sure everyone knowswe’re setting the standard.”the Brigade has nearly reached its3,200 troop strength numbers for thismission it hasn’t been without someshuffling of troops as well as entireunits from outside the Brigade, yetwithin the Arkansas Guard.After conducting Soldier ReadinessProcessing (SRP) at Fort Chaffee thissummer, Maj. Slade McPherson, personnelofficer for the Brigade, quicklyrealized he would need a long arm toreach outside the Brigade for nearly1,000 additional Soldiers to attain therequired numbers. The immediatequestion was, “Where do we get 1,000Soldiers?”The answer was simple, the ArkansasArmy National Guard.In 2003, the 39 th enlisted the supportof units from nine other states to fillthe gap. And while their Soldiers performedadmirably, the adjutant generalwanted a complete Arkansas family onthis deployment and Col. Penn agreed.“Arkansas was given amission, and I think it’simportant that Arkansansstep up to thatmission,” said Penn.“Every state across thenation has been heavilytaxed with supportingthe war effort in Iraq,and I think it’s importantfor several reasonsthat we use our Soldiers.Soldiers are Soldiersregardless of theirbase, but why wouldn’twe want to take ‘ourFamily’ of Soldiers. Soldiersthat already havea bond and that bondis that they are fromthe same state. Inmany cases, they haveworked together foryears.”An Arkansas BrigadeIn direct contrast to the 2004 deployment,the Brigade will take a full contingentof Arkansas-based Soldierswhen they deploy in 2008. And whileSo, in addition to the units organic tothe 39 th Brigade, the Arkansas leadershipreached out across the state to fillthe void. In all, 57 communities fromall four corners of the state will be af-

fected by the mobilization.“With a call for troops equating that ofa unit’s authorized strength, thatparticular unit’s ability to supportthe call is severely hampered,”said Brig. Gen. RichardSwan, the Arkansas NationalGuard’s joint force land componentcommander. “On any givenday, the 39 th Brigade has asmany as 600 Soldiers that arenon-deployable due to the factthey have yet to attend, or arecurrently attending, their initialentry training. Add to that numberthe Soldiers who are in lineto retire, at the end of theirenlistment contract, and anticipatedto be determined nondeployableduring the (SoldierReadiness Process) process andyou have just lost an extremelysignificant portion of yourstrength.”“It was determined that this was notjust a job for the 39 th Brigade,” saidSwan. “The most effective route tosuccess would be the mobilization ofJoint Force—Arkansas. . . . .a packageof Arkansas units, combined, to fulfillthe personnel requirements of the missionat hand.”The following units will fall under thesame mobilization order and be incorporatedinto the 39 th Brigade: From the87 th Troop Command—216 th MilitaryPolice Company of West Memphis; Detachment1, 216 th MP Company ofNorth Little Rock; 1123 rd TransportationCompany of N. Little Rock; Det. 1,1123 rd Transportation Company ofBlytheville; 224th Maintenance Companyof Mountain Home; Detachment1, 224 th Maintenance Company of Marshall;1038 th Horizontal ConstructionCompany of N. Little Rock. And fromthe 142 nd Fires Brigade—217 th BrigadeSupport Battalion to include HeadquartersCompany of Booneville; CompanyA of Lincoln; Det. 1, Company A ofBerryville and Company B of Rogers.Creating War StoriesAn afternoon with a 39 th combat veteranwill reveal a plethora of war stories;stories of heroism and honor offriendships and pride. The details ofthese memories are as clear as if theyjust happened considering they’re onlythree years removed from the fighting.And now, they face a challenge as hardas the first deployment—preparing fora different mission within a familiarland and doing it with the same focus.In essence, these hard-charging infantrymenare already building their warstories from events here within thestate of Arkansas. And, there will bemany more to come as the Bowie Brigadeprogresses through this deploymentperiod. The important thing rightnow is for each leader and Soldierthroughout the Brigade to remain battle-focusedduring their training to ensuresuccess—to ensure they get to tellthose stories to their children andgrandchildren one day.

Preparing for a seconddeployment toIraq, Arkansas’39 th Infantry Brigade CombatTeam (IBCT) has experienceon its side; however,it’s thisexperiencethat has theBowie Brigade’stopenlistedtroop concerned.But how does experienceequate toconcern in the mindof this nearly 30-year veteran? Itwould seem to be anapparent contradiction; almost as contradictingas saying Iraq and peace in thesame sentence.Having returned from Iraq in the spring of2005, this deployment is seemingly deja’vufor approximately 1,600 Soldiers. Theseare Soldiers that spent twelve months‘boots on the ground’ in Iraq. These areSoldiers that understand the enemy even asunconventional as that enemymight be. These are Soldiersthat defeated the enemy manytimes, many ways. These areSoldiers that have been incombat.Nonetheless, Command Sgt.Maj. Steven Veazey is so concernedwith this mission thathe is warning his Soldiers tostay focused on a new enemy—theenemy within.As Veazey explains it, the‘enemy within’ is as unconventionalas the enemy militaryforces face in Iraq. Onestrike by this enemy can proveto be deadly; however, eachSoldier can directly affect theeffectiveness of this enemy.The goal: enemy ineffectiveness.“We can’t go in with the attitude that, ‘I’vebeen there, done that, got the t-shirt’ andbecome negligent in carrying out our mission.We’ve got to stay focused on the enemywithin—complacency, stupidity,” hesaid. “We have a large contingent of Soldierswith combat experience which hasalready proven valuable during our training;however, it’s important to look at thepotential negative aspects of experience.Never take anything for granted, especiallywhen it comes to Iraq.”Early into the home station mobilization, itwould appear the 39 th ’s non-commissionedofficer core has the enemy contained asmotivation is at an extremely high level,according to Veazey. As long as motivationremains high, he is confident that thetrainers will “deliver the goods” and provideexcellent training. The benefits ofhaving combat veterans as instructors aremany, but one of the greatest is their abilityto look beyond textbook training. Fightingan unconventional enemy requires an unconventionalapproach to training alongwith an ability to adapt and make on thespot changes.Oftentimes, the training being conductedhere resembles a basic training site. Soldiersare required to achieve the higheststandards in all training. Anything less thenthe highest standard is considered a ‘no-go’to these trainers. And, ‘do it again’ issomething that can be heard many, manytimes throughout the course of the day. Thereality of this training is that it saves lives.“We can’t go in with the attitude that, ‘I’ve been there,done that, got the t-shirt’ and become negligent in carryingout our mission. We’ve got to stay focused on theenemy within—complacency, stupidity,” he said. “We havea large contingent of soldiers with combat experiencewhich has already proven valuable during our training;however, it’s important to look at the potential negativeaspects of experience. Never take anything forgranted, especially when it comes to Iraq.”Command Sgt. Maj. Steven VeazeyWhen the initial verbal alert order came inApril, the Arkansas leadership immediatelybegan planning on how they might benefitfrom its’ experienced troops. The resultingplan called for the combat veterans to serveas trainers—a plan that Command Sgt.Maj. Veazey wholeheartedly supports.Every Soldier within the Brigade is requiredto complete the Warrior Training(Continued on page 22)

Tasks (WTT) prior to deploying to Iraqregardless of their specific military job orrank. These individual tasks include trainingevents such as hand-to-hand combat,weapons qualifications, first aid, ImprovisedExplosive Device (IED) detectionand individual movement techniques. Soldiersare required tocomplete approximately40 WTTs before the Brigadeshifts gears intocollective training andtheater specific training.The Adjutant General—Maj. Gen. William D.Wofford—is required tocertify the training beforethe Brigade leavesfor Camp Shelby, Miss.The significance of thishome station mobilizationis that it’s a first;therefore, Arkansas isfocused on setting thestandard, which is anotherreason Veazey isadamant about identifying‘excellence’ in training and then trainingto that standard. This focus on excellenceis helping to motivate his Soldiersand a primary factor in fighting the enemywithin, Veazey said.When he’s not on the ground participatingin training, Veazey is traveling to the varioustraining sites checking on his Soldiers.His mission is to verify that the trainers areaccurately teaching classes and motivatingSoldiers as they do the hands-on portion ofthe training.Observing some of his Soldiers participatingin MOUT—Military Operations on UrbanTerrain—training at the makeshift villageknown as Lonestar, Veazey appearedpleased with what he was seeing. He stoodin the pouring rain as a four-man team“We’ve got to maintain this samelevel of intensity and positiveattitude for the next 15months,” said Veazey. “It’s as simpleas that. We simply have tofocus, focus, focus. . . .that isthe key to our success thistime,”Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Veazeyraced across a very muddy road headed forthe buildings they were required to clear.The rain clearly dampened their ACUs butnot their spirits.“Go, go, go!” shouted the lead troop as oneof his team members came from the rear ofthe line to kick in the front door. Once theexercise was over, the instructor did aquick review of what had just happenedbefore directing them back to the door toattempt the exercise again. Rain fallingeven harder, the troops just grinned andshouted out a collective, “hooah!”“We’ve got to maintain this same level ofintensity and positive attitude for the next15 months,” said Veazey. “It’s as simple asthat. We simply have to focus, focus, focus.. . .that is the key to our success thistime,” he said. “Thisis a different mission;however weare conducting it inan area that is stillvery, very volatile.We take nothing forgranted and even thesmallest—simplest—of tasksare taken very serious,because this canand will save lives.We’re leaving with3,000 plus ArkansasSoldiers, and it’s notacceptable to comehome with anythingless. Focus, focus,focus. . . . .”The concept of bringing home every Soldierthat deploys to Iraq is not just a goalfor Veazey. It’s what he lives for as the topenlisted boss for the Brigade. That’s whyexperience equates to concern. He simplylooks at things from a different perspectivethan most which more than likely explainswhy he ‘is’ the top enlisted troop for theBrigade. Experience can be a double-edgedsword, but Veazey is confident that hisBowie Brigade combat veterans willsharpen the skills of their fellow Soldiers.

Creating a ‘Family friendly’ environmentwas the motivationbehind Arkansas’ fight for ahome station mobilization. The‘friendly’ side of this mobilization, however,doesn’t start until the duty day—which oftentimes outlasts the sun—isover. And, while the duty day is spentwith their second Family there’s nothingfriendly about the intensive battlefocusedtraining the Soldiers are experiencing.well as 1 st Army have been highly complimentaryof the standard Arkansas issetting.Course (TAITC) to learn how to be aninstructor. During this training, eachSoldier became experienced with oneof the 40 Warrior Training Tasks (WTT)“. . .talk about experience of our staff—we’ve got OIF (OperationIraqi Freedom) warriors, combat vets,” said Command Sgt. Maj.Megoloff, who oversees the Training Evaluators (TE’s). “Thesearen’t classroom geeks. These guys have been there, done that,and they’ve done it with bullets flying over their heads.”Preparing for their return to Iraq earlyin 2008, the 39 th Infantry Brigade CombatTeam of the Arkansas Army NationalGuard won its bid for a homestation deployment late in the summer.The commander of the 39 th InfantryBrigade Combat Team (IBCT)— Col.Kendall Penn—was determined to givehis troops more Family time and wasdeterminedhe had theexperience—thanks tohis 1,600Iraqi combatveterans—toconduct thetraining inhis ownbackyard.In the previousdeployment,the Brigadespent nearly six months away fromhome in Fort Hood, Texas training beforeever arriving in Iraq.“It’s as if the Soldiers arrive at work inthe morning, clock-in and then walkout on the battlefield and fight thewar,” said Penn, 39 th IBCT commander.“This is real-world battlefield trainingthat is designed to keep these troopsalive. We ask them for 110 percentduring the duty day and in return weallow them to clock out and return totheir Family. Our hope is that Familiesget to spend more time with their particularSoldier, and it provides a motivationfor the Soldier that extends tothe training environment.”The 39 th is a history-rich brigade withit’s most recent entry into history beingthe first Brigade Combat Team to bemobilized for a second time to supportOperation Iraqi Freedom. And now, thehome station mobilization is a historicalmove and one that is catching the attentionof other BCT’s as Arkansas issetting the standard for future mobilizations.The Brigade has received visits fromother states to include Oklahoma,Texas and Utah to see first hand howthe home station mobilization plan wasworking. The National Guard Bureau asThe battlefield where this current waris fought—or better yet, ‘taught’—canbe found in three basic locations—FortChaffee Maneuver Training Center,Camp Joseph T. Robinson, and thevarious 39 th armories around the state.And the teaching has been left to agroup of Arkansas Guardsmen from the39 th with enough experience to allowthem to talk the talk and walk thewalk.“. . .talk about experience of ourstaff—we’ve got OIF (Operation IraqiFreedom) warriors, combat vets,” saidCommand Sgt. Maj. James Megoloff,who oversees the Training Evaluators(TE’s). “These aren’t classroom geeks.These guys have been there, donethat, and they’ve done it with bulletsflying over their heads.”Megoloff was instrumental in the creationof a special Arkansas battalion oftraining evaluators from the 233 rd RegionalTraining Institute. The battalionconsists of approximately 60 Soldiersmade up of six teams of which each isassigned to one of the battalions withinthe 39 th IBCT.Quick to compliment the strength ofthe training evaluators he was able toassemble, Megoloff didn’t rely solely oncombat experience when developinghis team of experts. According to Megoloff,he wanted to ensure these Soldiers,these trainers could relay theirknowledge as effectively as they couldperform their duties on the battlefield.As a result, those selected as trainingevaluators were required to completethe Total Army instructor Trainingthat every Soldier within the Brigadewill have to master before leaving forIraq. Additionally, the training evaluatorswere required to complete theCombat Lifesaver Course.Megoloff would be hard pressed toidentify a weak link in his staff as hewas personally involved in filling everyposition. Andas a sergeantmajor, he hasWarrior mentalityandknows trainingSoldiers isa key to successandwanted histeam to bethe best.With the likesof Staff Sgt.KennethJohnson—NoncommissionedOfficer of the Year forthe Arkansas Guard—on his team, it’shard to argue with Penn’s argumentthat he had the experienced staff toconduct a home station deployment.Conducting the Individual MovementTechniques (IMT) lane training at FortChaffee in early October, Johnson wasquick to get in the mud with the troopsas they traversed the course; oftentimeson their back or in the low-crawlposition. An observer of the trainingcould quickly identify the characteristicsthat ultimately helped him attainthe title of NCO of the Year. And, hismotivation was contagious as troopswhere quick to dive into the mudsoakedlane that had been hit by asmuch as eight inches of rain the eveningbefore.“Safety is of utmost importance on thislane, so remember that at all times.But remember this also—you will getwet, you will get muddy! So, pay attentionto what you’re doing and havefun!” he said with a smile.As the first troops hit the first obstacleand became immersed in mud, theyreceived what seemed to be Johnson’sultimate award, “Out by-God standing!”But as quickly as an award washanded out, he would hand out a repri-

mand and let the troops know theyhad made a mistake. But, when youpractice wrong you do your jobwrong and in Iraq there is no roomfor error. So he was quick to requirea, “re-do”Hiding behind a barrier, the troopslowly lifts his head up to see if hecan advance his team. With thecommand, “A-team moving!” thetwo-man team was up and running.“One thousand and one, one thousandand two. . . . . one thousandand five; get down!” shouted Johnsonas he ran towards the troops.“You have gotta to get down!You’ve got .556 rounds flyingabove your head and that manis trying to hit you! If he hitsyou, his commander is pinninga medal on his chest and youget a flag draped across yours!You’re up, you’re moving andyou’re down! Now, do itagain!” screams out Staff Sgt.Johnson.Nasty conditions, shouting, re-do’sand a physically exhaustive environmentmight have brought backmemories of basic training to thesemembers of the Brigade; however,their intensity and motivation washigh. This was a point of praise thatJohnson was quick to point out ashe talked with the troops after completingthe course.“Hey guys, I just want to thank-youfor your motivation today,” he said,as the mud-soaked team listenedintently while trying to catch theirbreath. “This was a very hardcourse, and you gave it everythingyou had. I’m here to teach, but youare the one teaching. Your peerssee you and your motivation and itmakes them push themselvesharder. Now that’s NCO leadership.Great job!”As the Soldiers begin their advance, Staff Sgt. Johnson begins his count. . . . . “onethousand one, one thousand two. . . .” Above, he gets to his five count and instantly slapsthe ground with his pointer in frustration as the troops didn’t get to the ground quickenough. Below, Johnson takes time for a thorough evaluation of the fire team’s advanceas a team as well as their individual performance. Far left, after scaling the obstacle aSoldier hits the ground with a muddy splash and much to the delight of Johnson as hescreams out, “Outstanding!” Johnson was quick to encourage the troops to maintaintheir motivation from beginning to end, and they followed through.These Soldiers completed this WarriorTraining Task—only 39 more togo—but the day is still young andthe duty day is still long. Johnsondirects them to use enough waterto wash off their face and hands,“but don’t be taking a shower in mywater” before telling them to take abreak before heading off to thenext task.While there’s still a lot of trainingand long days ahead, these Soldiers—especiallythose that deployedlast time and participated intraining at Fort Hood, Texas—appreciate the opportunity to trainin their own backyard.

On the battlefield,the AmericanSoldier isequipped withthe best technologies inorder to defend againstenemy attack. And whileKevlar and body armorare designed to stop bullets,they provide no protectionagainst leakyfaucets, creditorsor carsthat refuse tostart on coldmornings.pipe,” said Capt. Robbie Reed, FamilyReadiness Group liaison for the 39 thBrigade—Rear Detachment. “They doeverything from creating care packagesfor Soldiers to helping a Family memberwhose car breaks down. It’s a networkdesigned to bring immediateresolution to problems that arise.”Like many of the 1,600 Soldiers returningto Iraq as combat veterans, manyof the volunteers of the FRGs are, in asense, veterans. Having experiencedthe hardships of having their loved onedeployed, these men and women bringa lot of experience to the FRG effort.(FAC) that the FRGs can turn to forsupport. Each FAC is managed by acivilian on a full time basis with thesole purpose of supporting Families ofdeployed Soldiers. And since it’s not apart-time responsibility, they’ve provento be very effective in resolving issues.“They are basically available 24-hoursa day by cell phone when they are notin the office (located in the armory),”said Reed. “And while they may notgive cash, they can point the Familymember in the direction of Army EmergencyRelief Fund, Red Cross or one ofmany other organizations designed toThese are enemies ofthe home front—anenemy that Familiesof deployed Soldiersface on a regular basis,yet fortunately,it’s not a battle theyhave to wage alone.Just as a Soldierleans on a fellow Soldierin combat, thoseleft behind turn toother family membersfor supportwhen the enemylurks or applies a directattack.While not a new conceptin the military,Family ReadinessGroups—commonlyreferred to in militarychannels as FRGs—are increasinglygaining more attention.Comprisedof volunteers, civiliansin the communityand Familymembers of deployedSoldiers,the FRGs are organizedat thecompany level.They typicallyserve as the liaisonbetween Familiesof deployed Soldiersand the command, and theircharter is simple—take care ofFamilies.“They are designed to handle issues atthe lowest levels, so the Soldier canfocus on their mission while deployedas opposed to worrying about a brokenOnce shared, this experience is as effectiveagainst the home front enemiesas Kevlar is against bullets fragments.While each company maintains a FamilyReadiness Group, there are eightregional support centers in the stateknown as Family Assistance Centersassist Families during times of hardship.The Family Readiness Group is asstrong as the volunteers that compriseits ranks, and the Arkansas Guard hasproven the FRG mission a successfulone throughout the various deployments.”

As an added bonus for this deployment,the Bowie Brigade has been includedin a pilot program for Familysupport funded by the National GuardBureau in Washington, D.C. The programprovides the Brigade with twoFamily Readiness Support Assistantsdedicated solely for Family support issueswithin the 39 th Brigade. Their officesare located at Ricks Armory in LittleRock, and they report directly toReed.Serving as the commander for RearOperations for the Brigade, Lt. Col.Stephen Redman understands the importanceof Family readiness. He hasalready started implementing hisstrategies for a successful Family supportcampaign.“At the end of the day,it’s the Family membersthat we should thank,”said Redman. “Theybasically run the FamilyReadiness Groups, andthey run the householdsfor our Soldiersso they can focus ontheir mission. To underestimatetheir contributionin this deploymentwould be as big a mistakeas underestimatingour enemy in Iraq.”“At a regional level, I plan to conduct‘town hall’ meetings quarterly for eachbattalion to understand the issues ourFamilies are facing. We’ll look to canvassthe crowd for issues,and we’ll alsouse the meetings asan information sharingopportunity as well,”he said. “We’re lookingat ways to improveon an alreadysuccessful programwithin Arkansas. Butrest assured, the successwouldn’t be possiblewithout our volunteersand Familymembers.”The State Family Readiness Office recentlyheld a statewide conference forleaders of the various Family ReadinessGroups. The main focus for the weekendevent was to outline the benefitsavailable to Families such as Red Crossand Army One Source. Reed deemedthe meeting a success.“Anytime you getthis group togethergreat ideas are theresult,” said Reed.“Networking is justone of the waysthe program hasbecome so successful,and I encourageSoldiers toget their Familymember involvedin the processearly. If there arequestions aboutwho the FamilyReadiness Groupleader is for thecompany, Soldierscan contact thecompany commandfor answers.”While nothing totallyprepares aFamily for the absence of a lovedone,—their Soldier—the ‘FRG’ body armorcan provide those left behind withthe protection (peace of mind) necessaryto assist them through a year-longdeployment.

Y ou could saythat artillery is in ChiefWarrant Officer SteveKeaton's blood. Hewas a young boy—about seven-yearsold—whenhe firstheard artillery roundscome down on theirtargets.With a helmet too large for his head, ayoung Keaton stood on ranges withmen more than twice his size. He wasamazed as he watched the Soldiers inhis father's unit load the guns and tossthe smoking casings aside. On thosecrisp mornings in west Arkansas, heknew he loved artillery and wouldsomeday follow in his father's footstepsas an Arkansas artilleryman.“I remember going out to the firingranges with my dad and watching therounds fired. It was exciting, and Iloved doing it,” said Keaton. His father,Col. (retired) James W. Keaton, was acaptain in the 326 th Anti-Aircraft Battalion,which became the 5 th Battalion ofthe 142 nd Field Artillery Brigade in1959.Path of ServiceKeaton was born in Russellville, Ark.,on Aug. 26, 1947, and 18 years later,he enlisted in the Arkansas Army NationalGuard as a private first class. Hewas assigned to Battery C, 5 th Battalion,142 nd Field Artillery Brigade in Augustof 1966 before the 39 th Brigadewas formed.In 1967, the 39 th Brigade was formedand 5 th Battalion, 142 nd Field Artillerywas designated the 5 th Battalion, 206 thField Artillery, 39 th Infantry Brigade.Keaton became one of the many Soldiersof the original Bowie Brigade—thebrigade where Keaton would spend thenext 41 years of his service.Warrant Officer CandidateSchoolKeaton attended his warrant officercertification course at Fort Sill, Oklahomain 1971. An academically challengingcourse, Keaton said the weaponssupport radar course was more difficultthan any course he'd ever takenin college."The fourth or fifth week of the course,Keaton remained in the 206 th while attendingArkansas Technical Universityin Russellville. In 1971, he received hisdegree and was promoted to staff sergeant.Shortly after the promotion, hewas approached by his battalion commanderabout becoming an officer.“They told me that because I’d earnedmy degree it was time I followed in myfather’s footsteps and become and officerin the 206 th ,” he said. “I hadwanted to be a warrant officer, butOCS (Officer Candidate School)seemed like the next step.”Yet, he took his next step in a differentdirection.a gentleman came in with pocket protectorsand glasses. He stood in frontof the class and announced he wasfrom General Electric and that we'd bespending the next week discussing thegeneration and propagation of micro-

Story/Photos by Sgt. John Heavnerwave energy. That was the nature ofthe course. It was very demandingand that excited me," he said.While Keaton's class started witharound 60 students, only five of themgraduated in November of 1972. Keatonwas the distinguished graduatewith a 99 percentile grade average. Noother student had received such a highrating in the course previously.Bowie Team ExperienceIn his years with the Arkansas Armywhen Lance “Sweet Willy Wine” Watsonmarched from West Memphis toLittle Rock. It was a time when theGuard was frequently called out tohandle civil disturbances, according toKeaton. A trained artillery unit was alsoan occasional police force, very muchlike the Bowie Team's modern mission.“The most gratifying missions were tornadoand rescue missions, civil servicemissions, missions where we aidedpeople and helped them through hardtimes,” he said.in the Brigade. Soldiers, who were beingcoached by 101 st instructors, beganto advance their combat skills. Withthe training, which was developed fromlessons learned in Vietnam, the confidenceand camaraderie of the Brigadegrew to new heights, according to Keaton.In 1987, the 39 th Brigade started participatingin the Joint Readiness TrainingCenter at Fort Chaffee, which wasa strong morale builder for the Brigade,according to Keaton.Soldiers started participating in moretactical combat missions. A lot of deeppride [was felt] during those times,” hesaid.Back to IraqKeaton deployed to Al Taji, Iraq withthe 206th Field Artillery during the lastdeployment in support of OperationIraqi Freedom. His primary role wascrater analysis in the Al Taji area. OnJuly 8, 2004, he was injured on ananalysis mission when unburned propellantwas generating toxic fumes.The fumes burned his lungs and threwhis heart rate into arrhythmia, whichrequired surgery. He was evacuated toLandstuhl, Germany before ultimatelybeing sent to Fort Hood, Texas andthen on to Camp Joseph T. Robinson inNorth Little Rock until he recovered.Col. Kendall Penn presents Chief Keaton with the lastartillery casing fired at annual training to commemoratehis service. Below to the right, Maj. DamonCluck, battalion commander, shares a story about Keaton.While Keaton had planned to retire inAugust of this year, he agreed to extendhis contract in order to work on aproject with the National Ground IntelligenceCenter in Charlottesville, Virginia.While he has gone on to supportanother mission outside the Bowie Brigade,he'll always remain a member ofthe Brigade which has been such alarge part of its history.National Guard and the 39 th Brigade,Keaton has served on many missions.Some of the most memorable of thesemissions include assisting with securityduring the riots after Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. was assassinated and alsoOne of Keaton’s most significantmemories of the 39 th was the affiliationwith the 101 st Airborne Division afterthe Vietnam War, when the Brigadebegan to reach a level of combat readinessKeaton had never seen in his time

Training is to Soldierreadiness ascommunication isto employerreadiness. And, it’s imperativethat the citizen-Soldier maintain the linesof communication withtheir employer before andduring the deployment.to Higginbotham.“We must continue to communicatewith our employers,” she said. “It canbe as simple as an e-mail whileyou’re in Iraq. Our employers areworking with the Guard and supportingour efforts, and it’s all becausewe’re doing a good job of communicating.They are patriotic and feel likea part of the mission. We used tohave a saying, ‘you don’t have towear a uniform to be a patriot’ andthis is very true.”Employers across the state—andeven well beyond our borders—havecontinued to share in the burdens ofwar, yet, their support of the NationalGuard seems unwavering. Whetherit’s a small town police station sendingits one-man force to Iraq or aglobal company sending hundredsinto battle, the support is strong.Their sacrifices may be different, buttheir patriotism is equal.“Clearly, it’s not as big an impact ifyou work for Tyson or Wal-Mart asopposed to a small company withthree or four employees,” saidLeanna Higginbotham, Employer SupportCoordinator. “Regardless, we’vegot to continue to build the right relationshipwith employers, because forthe most part, these are the guysthat are making your house payment,car payment and feeding your Familywhen you’re not deployed.”Higginbotham’soffice has receivedan influx of callsrelated to themost recent deployment,particularlyregardingthose Soldiersfrom outside the39 th that weremoved into the39 th to round outthe Brigade. Theshort notice hascreated somequestions in theminds of the employers.However,Higginbothamsays the contentof the calls relatesmore to, “how canwe support you”than on anything negative.For approximately 3,200 deployingwith the 39 th Infantry Brigade CombatTeam, Uncle Sam will be the onehelping them make those paymentsfor now. And for many, he’s beenmaking many of those paymentssince 2003 as the Bowie Brigade hasbeen the most deployed Brigade inthe state. Deploying Soldiers as apart of the last Iraq deployment,Southwest border mission and HurricaneKatrina has placed some heavyburdens on employers as well as Soldiers.Those negative calls that do come inare quickly resolved with information.Questions such as, “My employee isn’teven in the 39 th , so why is he goingwith them to Iraq? Did he volunteer?”The answer to these questionsare ‘no’ because in about 1,000cases, the Arkansas Guard had tolook outside the Brigade to fill itsranks and meet the requirements forthe mission in Iraq. And, just like theoriginal members of the 39 th prior toOctober 1, they are being told theyare being activated.In some cases, employers have notseen their employee since the firstdeployment in 2003, according toHigginbotham. And while much ofthat time away might have been voluntary,the relationship between citizen-Soldierand employer is good dueto good communication.And communication doesn’t endwhen a Soldier hands a copy of thedeployment order to the boss. Inmost cases, Soldiers have had verbalconversations with their employerwarning of an anticipated deploymentlong before the order is printed. Regardless,this communication shouldsimply be a starting point, according“Employers just want to know therules. If you keep them in formedthey will support you, trust me,” shesaid.There are many rules regarding employersand members of the NationalGuard; therefore, the reason peoplelike Higginbotham are there to takethe calls. The main one being thatthe Soldiers’ job is protected whilethey are away serving their country.And while there are many rules, thebest one to follow might be as simpleas communicating with your employer.

“We must continue to communicate with our employers,” said LeannaHigginbotham, Employer Support Coordinator. “It can be as simple as an e-mail while you’re Iraq. Our employers are buying into the Guard and supportingour efforts, and it’s all because we’re doing a good job of communicating.They are patriotic and feel like a part of the mission. We used tohave a saying, ‘you don’t have to wear a uniform to be a patriot’ and this isvery true.”

L ocal businesses in Conwayrecently came together to showtheir support forSoldiers of theArkansas ArmyNational Guard,in particular, the39th InfantryBrigade CombatTeam's SpecialTroops Battalion.With smiling faces, handwrittensigns, and Americanflags, employees of localbusinesses—Snap-OnEquipment, Kimberly Clark,Wonderbox, Staffmark andAcxiom—lined the streetsto cheer the Soldiers homefrom pre-deployment trainingat Fort Chaffee ManeuverTraining Center.When Scott Champlin andRandy Spencer of Snap-onEquipment heard thattroops were coming backto the National Guard Armoryacross the street,they immediately began contemplating ways to show support.Having been a long-time community partner with thelocal unit, the two men wanted to continue to show supportfor their neighboring troops and their Families.Before long, Champlin and Spencer had everyone in theplant wanting to get involved. When local media heardabout what they were doing for the troops, Champlin andSpencer were asked to be interviewed on the two radio stations.With the help of theMagic 105 and 103.7 TheBuzz— radio stations fromLittle Rock—Snap-onEquipment started a grassrootscampaign to welcomethe troops back. The resultwas a crowd of over 300supporters from the businessas well as local citizensthat came by to showsupport."We just thought it wouldbe nice to have a couple ofpeople from Snap-On outfront with signs to saythank you as they return,”said Champlin. “That's theheart and soul of the messagewe're trying to give.We've tried to be goodcommunity partners with our local Soldiers. We've put togethercare packages and have helped with Christmas giftsfor the families that are back in the states. This is just oneof many things in a long relationship with our Guardsmenand our military Families."As the Soldiers began rolling into the industrial complex towardstheir armory, they were surprised by the welcomehome. For about a 100-meter stretch of road, they couldsee civilians waving flags and homemade signs thankingthem for their service.The welcome was reminiscent of a return many of theseSoldiers experienced just two and a half years ago as theyreturned from Iraq. And while they were only returningfrom a two-week training period at Fort Chaffee ManeuverTraining Center, the knowledge that the community supportsits Soldiers this early in the process provides muchcomfort.After returning to their armory around the corner, the unitcommander, Capt. Brian Kilgore, had his first sergeantmarch his troops across the street to thank the crowd. TheSoldiers marched in formation to the front lawn of Snap-OnEquipment. As the Soldiers stood at attention, a large marquee—Thankyou to our troops and their Families—helpedcomplete the picture of an employer dedicated to the citizen-Soldiersin their community. Champlin took the opportunityto thank the Soldiers for their service and dedication.“We simply wanted to take time out and thank them forwhat they did for us,” said Kilgore. “It took a lot of work topull this together, and you can see by the homemade signsthat they’ve put a lot of work into this effort. It’s importantfor all of us, as citizen-Soldiers, to take time to thank thecommunity for their support. And in particular, Snap-Onhas been a great supporter of ours for years.”Once Champlin finished his comments, the first sergeantcalled his company to attention and then with the command,“fall-out,” the Soldiers fell into the sea of supportersto thank them for coming out. After many handshakes, patson the back and simple well wishes, the Soldiers formedback up and marched off to the cheers of the crowd.Still early into the deployment, these Bowie Brigade Soldierscan find comfort in knowing the community is behindthem and they’ll look forward to the day they are welcomedhome from Iraq.

D ressed in ablack Stetson hat lacedwith a gold band andshiny silver spurs on hiscombat boots, the CalvarySoldier lifts a jug of whatappears to be motor oilhigh into the air. Hesounds off loud and proudto a room full of Soldiersdressed in the same attireas he pours the slowmovingliquid into a largepunch bowl—a liquid thatappears as slow as molasses.". . . . . defeating the Iraqi Army andliberating the nation of Kuwait. Inhonor of those brave cavalrymen, Iadd crude oil to the Grog. cavalrymen,charge your glasses and prepare toconsume the Grog!” he shouts.Adding crude oil, sand, and other nonconsumablesto a punch-bowl mix offrothy adult beverages might soundlike the beginning of a fraternal initiation;however the focus of this event ishonor, duty and country. Consumingthis beverage, known as the 'Grog,' isactually a symbolic reflection of cavalryhistory and tradition. This most recentepisode of tradition took place at a“Stable Call” at Fort Chaffee ManeuverTraining Center.History is something that these Soldiers—membersof 1 st Battalion, 151 stCalvary of the 39 th Infantry BrigadeCombat Team—are no stranger to asthe unit prepares for a second deploymentto Iraq. The battalion is currentlyconducting pre-deployment traininghere in anticipation of their year-longdeployment in support of OperationIraqi Freedom which will begin shortlyafter the first of the year. The 39 thIBCT is a history-rich brigade and traditionslike these bring camaraderie andpride to young and old alike.“It’s important to introduce these traditionsto our younger Soldiers so thatthey will carry the torch going forward.Tradition is such a large part of anymilitary organization that I think it’sextremely difficult to determine thevalue of such traditions in respect tocamaraderie,” said Maj. ChadHigginbotham. “If for no other reason,carrying these traditions forward simplyhelps to bring our leaders—bothenlisted and officer—closer together asa cohesive unit, which is very importantfor a battalion that is about tohead back to Iraq.”Each ingredient added to the Grog issymbolic of a particular mission, conflict,or hardship that cavalrymen haveexperienced throughout their years.While it may be maple syrup instead ofcrude oil, brown sugar instead of sand,or red wine instead of cavalry blood,the symbolic meaning remains thesame to those who gulp a mug of theGrog. And while the taste buds mightdisagree, the Grog provides a delightfuldose of pride and honor for all thatpartake.“It helps you understand the lineage ofthe unit. With each drink that’s addedin, you hear stories of bravery andcourage” said Sgt. Garland Alexanderof Headquarters Troop, 1/151 st Cavalry.“It’s a unique experience and hasalways been a motivator for me.”Cavalrymen of the 39 th have hosted theannual “Stable Call” since E Troop—previously known as 3rd Battalion,153 rd Infantry Regiment—was reformedinto 1 st Battalion, 151 st Cavalryas a part of Army transformation.The ceremony is an informal esprit decorps event that has other historicalsymbols honoring the cavalry tradition.It’s an opportunity to wear the Stetsonhat, which can be worn by any Soldierattending the dinner. Wearing theStetson is a tradition believed to bestarted by Lt. Col. John B. Stockton atFort Benning, Ga. It is a symbol of thepride cavalrymen have for their profession.Another uniform modification, the cavalryspurs, must be earned. Gold spursare authorized at special events to anySoldier that has deployed with a cavalryunit. Silver spurs are earnedthrough a “spur ride”, which is a cavalrychallenge with tasks that must beaccomplished. The tasks, which varyfrom unit to unit, challenge cavalrymenon skills such as night land navigation,proficiency with weapons like the .50caliber machine gun or MK 19 grenadelauncher, obstacle courses along withother challenges to test the mastery ofa cavalry scout’s tasks.Other historical traditions include thelighting of the lantern, which was avisible command years ago that lettroops know that they could smokeand drink at ease. According to tradition,no cavalryman can smoke untilthe commander has called for the lanternto be lit. Bugle calls can still beheard at cavalry ceremonies throughthe Army, which historically representshow field commanders were summonedto their superiors in the wars ofearly America.“It’s all about the history that comeswith cavalry,” said Capt. Joel Lynch ofHeadquarters Troop. “It gives troopspride in who they are and what theydo.”Previously, 1/151 st Cavalry has beenequipped for reconnaissance missions,riding forward and gathering the informationthat helps brigade commandersmake tactical decisions. These cavalrymenof the 39 th are preparing for a differentmission with this deployment—asecurity mission—yet, they can rely ontheir camaraderie and cavalry spirit toensure mission success.

“It’s important to introduce these traditions to our younger Soldiers sothat they will carry the torch going forward. Tradition is such a largepart of any military organization that I think it’s extremely difficult to determinethe value of such traditions in respect to camaraderie,” said Maj.Chad Higginbotham. “If for no other reason, carrying these traditionsforward simply helps to bring our leaders—both enlisted and officer—closer together as a cohesive unit, which is very important for a battalionthat is about to head back to Iraq.”Photos/Story by Sgt. John Heavner

The only battalion-sizedelement—217th BrigadeSupport Battalion—withinthe ArkansasArmy NationalGuard that hasn’t deployedin the last fewyears is answering thecall—a ‘long-distance’call from the 39 th InfantryBrigade CombatTeam. Now, they findthemselves preparingfor duty in Iraq.Joining forces with the Bowie Brigadefor this version of Operation Iraqi Freedomis a reunion of sorts for thesemembers of the 142 nd Fires Brigade.The two-year old battalion’s headquartersonce held the designation as Detachment1, of the 239 th EngineerCompany of the 39 th Infantry Brigadeprior to the brigade’s transformationinto a brigade combat team.The 217th’s flag was unfurled in a May2006 ceremony as Lt. Col. Tony Bryanttook the reigns of the newly created217 th Brigade Support Battalion. In thesame breath, those unit members thatformerly sported the Bowie patch ontheir left shoulder, replaced it with thatof the 142 nd Fires Brigade, and the restis history—or at least, the start of theunit’s history.In a very cold morning ceremony inJanuary 2007, the battalion recordedanother significant entry in their historyas Bryant turned over the reigns to Lt.Col. James Treece. In taking the topspot, he was confident a deploymentwas in his future.“As a new battalion with no mobe time,we knew we’d be looked at for deploymentsooner or later. So, when we realizedthe 39 th was going to need helpfrom outside the Brigade we steppedup,” said Treece. “We just wanted togo as a complete battalion—carry ourown flag. Cross-leveling breaks thecommand structure, espirt de corp, camaraderie,those tenets that make asuccessful unit.The Brigade commander—Col. KendallPenn—agreed with Treece’s assessmentthat cross-leveling would not bein the best interest of the 217 th , northe Bowie Brigade. So, as the only battalion-sizedelement to join the Brigade,the 217 th will march into Iraqwith their infamous 142 nd patch ontheir shoulder—which features an artilleryround underneath the state of Arkansasflag.And, nearly three months into individualtraining, the 217 th finds motivationamong its young troops high.“Being reunited with all theSoldiers that I deployed within OIF II makes me feelreally good,” said Staff Sgt. RobertHardin, previously a member of the239 th who had served with the 39 th forseven years. “Many of the guys Iserved with are now training us, andit’s been exciting to see their facesagain. And, coming into this, you mighthave thought that we wouldn’t receiveany respect for wearing the 142 ndpatch, but that is not the case. The39 th has accepted us as part of theteam.”As a way to solidify the commitment tomaking the 217 th feel like a part of theteam, Penn has extended the Bowieknife tradition to the battalion, accordingto Treece. In fact five field-gradeofficers from the 217 th have alreadyreceived their Bowie knife in a presentationby Penn and more are waitingfor the day that they can display theknife on their side.“As far as an outward showingof camaraderie, in myopinion, the Bowie knife isthe most time-honored traditionfor senior leadership,”said Treece. “Colonel Penn just presentedthe knives to five of our guys,and it’s a great honor that they willwear with great pride. From an noncommissionedofficer perspective, mostof our guys have always been142 nd guys, so I think by allowingour Soldiers to retain their 142 ndculture—to wear the patch—it has allowedthem to keep their cultural identity.Again, all in all, we are a part ofthis team.”Sporting his Bowie knife recently at theBrigade Headquarters at Ricks Armory,Treece recalled his days with the 39 thmany years ago as a noncommissionedofficer. Having served inBravo Company, 2/153 from privatethru sergeant, he left the Brigade toattend Officer Candidate School in LittleRock. And now, he returns as thebattalion commander within the 142 ndFires Brigade, yet, he’s very familiarwith his peers from the Brigade.“Having never deployed as battalioncommander, I find myself working withcommanders—peers—that have theexperience and are very good at sharingthat experience with me,” saidTreece. “I’m very familiar withthe 39 th Brigade, and from acommander’s perspective, I’dmuch rather deploy with aunit that I’m familiar with asopposed to going as a separatebattalion. Our ranks are filledwith a lot of youth, but we still haveanywhere from 35 to 40 percent of ourbattalion that has previously deployed.Bottom line, our Soldiers are motivatedand excited about this deployment.”As the Brigade continues to prepare fordeployment, the only difference betweenthe 217 th and the other battalionsis a shoulder patch.Lt. Col. James Treece, commander of the 217th Brigade Support Battalion,142nd Fires Brigade, and Command Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Gillmore display theirBowie knives which Col. Kendall Penn, commander of the 39th Infantry BrigadeCombat Team presented to them in December. Treece believes that allowingthe senior leadership of the 217th to be a part of the Bowie knife traditionsolidifies Penn’s verbal commitment to making his battalion feel likepart of the Bowie Team and not simply “fillers”. Above, the artillery roundwith the Arkansas state flag across it represents the 142nd Fires Brigade.

Maj. Ty Tyrrell getnow wear on his sBowie knife duringder sending the BAs the 39 th InfantryBrigade CombatTeam preparesfor deployment toIraq, the senior leadershipis prepared to bring aknife to the gunfight—theBowie knife. The knife isan addition to the uniformwith roots that run deepin Arkansas history andhas given the 39 th thedesignation as the ‘BowieBrigade.’After the 39th Infantry Brigade wasformed in 1967, the Brigade needed asymbol that would represent the prideand heritage of "The Arkansas Brigade",as well as the fighting spirit ofthe Soldiers that carried that symbol.The Bowie knife— named after famousSoldier, explorer, and businessmanJames Bowie—would become thatsymbol.In fact, the Brigade patch highlightsthe Bowie knife as it lays across a bluediamond, which represents the onlydiamond mind in North America locatedin Murfreesboro, Ark. The redarea surrounding the diamond, alongwith the blue that outlines the patchare representative of the Arkansasstate flag with the colors standing forloyalty (blue) and the blood (red) thatthe 39 th Soldiers have shed for boththe state of Arkansas as well as theUnited States. Both the patch and theBowie knife have become very distinguishableacross the country.As legend has it, James Bowie traveledto Washington, Ark., in 1830 to find afamous blacksmith and knife maker,named James Black. Because Blackwas such a well known knife maker,Bowie selected him to make a knifethat Bowie had designed and whittledout of wood. Black agreed to createthe knife, which would be made of thefinest material, have a heavy handguard and be balanced for throwing.A month later, Bowie returned toBlack's shop to find that Black hadmade two versions of the knife. Oneversion was just as Bowie had askedwhile the second had a few modifications.The modified version had acurved point of two edges, also calleda clip point, making it possible to staband slash with the knife. Bowie likedthe modifications and took the secondknife as his own.Soon after Bowie had acquired his newknife, he was attacked in Texas bythree men hired to kill him. Legendtells that one man was almost decapitated,the other disemboweled, andthe third's skull split open. This fightwould make both Bowie and Black famous.The 39 th Brigade adopted the Bowieknife as part of the Brigade’s insigniasoon after its formation on December1, 1967. It was originally the weaponof brigade field grade officers, thecommanding general's aide-de-camp,and more recently, the command sergeantsmajor, sergeants major, andchief warrant officers (CW4). Thecommander of the brigade is authorizeda Bowie knife with an ivory handle.Colonels wear knives with staghandles while all field grade officerswear knives with black handles. Commandsergeants major and sergeantsmajor wear knives with cherry woodhandle and retired master sergeantsare authorized cocobolo handles.Bowie Brigade Soldiers are the onlySoldiers in the Army authorized towear the Bowie knife as part of theiruniform. While it was originally an Arkansastradition, it has been approvedby the United States Senate for 39 thBrigade Soldiers to wear the Bowie onmilitary bases across the Army.The same Bowie knife conceived in Arkansasis still produced in Arkansas.And, until his death, each knife presentedto 39th Brigade Soldiers washand made by Jimmy Lile of Russellville.Lile was also commissioned tomake the knives used by SylvesterStallone in the Rambo films. His familycontinues to make the blades for theBrigade, but along with the owner'sname, rank, and unit, the family placesa red strip of wood on the handle.This red strip is in memory of Lile.Designed as a weapon for close contactfighting, the Bowie knife is‘indicative of the fighting spirit of theinfantry’ and is worn with pride bythose authorized to wear it on their

hip.The newest member of the Brigade tobe ‘knighted’ with his own personalBowie knife by Col. Kendall Penn, Brigadecommander, was Maj. Ty Tyrrellduring a quick ceremony during thesummer.Tyrrell, executive officer for the 2 ndBattalion, 153 rd Infantry Regiment, haslong understood the significance of thisunique symbol. Having served in theIowa National Guard from 1989 to1993, he was well aware during thattimeframe that the Bowie knife was asignificant honor within the 39 th andhe’s proud that honor has now beenbestowed on him."We didn't have anything like theBowie knife in the Iowa Guard. It'sone of those symbols that tells peopleyou're a part of the leadership of the39th Brigade, an item that all the officersand senior NCOs strive for as theymake their way through the ranks,” hesaid. “It certainly makes me feel likepart of the 39th family."As the Brigade continues its march toIraq, the troops attack their trainingwith the same fighting spirit that theBowie knife represents. And whetherthe weapon of choice is a rifle, pistol ora knife, these Soldiers are prepared forthe fight.The 39 th Brigade adopted the Bowie knife as part of theBrigade’s insignia soon after its formation on December1, 1967. It was originally the weapon of brigade fieldgrade officers, the commanding general's aide-decamp,and more recently, the command sergeants major,sergeants major, and chief warrant officers (CW4).The commander of the brigade is authorized a Bowieknife with an ivory handle. Colonels wear knives withstag handles while all field grade officers wear kniveswith black handles. Command sergeants major andsergeants major wear knives with cherry wood handleand retired master sergeants are authorized cocobolohandles.s ‘knighted’ by Col. Kendall Penn, Brigade Commander, with the infamous Bowie knife, which he willide as a field-grade officer within the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Tyrrell was awarded hisannual training as the Brigade began an intensive training plan in anticipation of the mobilization orrigadeback to Iraq for a second time.

Newly promoted Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip Johnson (above) salutes Lt. Col. Mickey Stewart, commanderof 2/153rd Infantry. Command Sgt. Maj. James Megoloff (right) salutes Lt. Col. Brad Cox,commander of 1/153rd Infantry during a promotion ceremony at Fort Chaffee Maneuver TrainingCenter (photos by Sgt. John Heavner). Command Sgt. Maj. Kim Hubbard (far left), Brigade SupportBattalion (BSB) salutes his Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Stephen Redman, during an earlymorning ceremony at Fort Chaffee.