December 2023 — M2CC Newsletter

WWW.M2CC.US Monthly Newsletter | 23
things on his bucket list was to fire a
tank one last time.
Tenison, 39, is a former tanker who
served from 2004 to 2008 on active
duty and another five years in the
Army Reserve. On Tuesday, he got
to check that item off the list -- he
fired his last shot at Fort Moore,
Georgia.
“It was everything I had hoped for,
and went beyond my expectation,”
he told Military.com. When asked
how he did on the gunnery event,
which included the M1A2 Abrams
main battle tank engaging multiple
targets, he said, “I killed everything.”
It was the culmination of a major
movement in the Army community to
get Tenison into an Abrams tank one
last time after he posted the request
on Reddit late last year. He reported
his hair had started falling out, he
was growing increasingly fatigued
and had lost at least 60 pounds.
“To me, this is one of the most special
things I will do in command,” Col.
Ryan Kranc, commander of the 316th
Cavalry Brigade, which oversees
training for cavalry and armor troops,
told Military.com. “It's humbling.”
Tenison was also awarded the
Order of Saint George, a unique and
prestigious medal worn around the
neck, given to cavalry and tanker
soldiers for outstanding service.
In early 2022, Tenison was diagnosed
with Stage IV stomach cancer after
reporting pain to his doctors. After
months of chemotherapy, he got the
worst news of his life -- there was
nothing medical care could do for
him and his doctor recommended he
focus on quality of life.
Before the live fire, Tenison was put
into a simulation of the Abrams, a
virtual reality tool all soldiers go