5/2 Redeployment Ceremony Stories
Welcome home to the 5/2 SBCT. Provided below are links to local coverage of its redeployment ceremony.
- Stryker Brigade marks its homecoming with talk of accomplishments and sacrifice - Seattle Times Newspaper
- 5th Brigade back home - The News Tribune
- Lewis-McChord brigade all together again - The News Tribune
- Mother Of Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Attends Homecoming - KPLU
Redeployment Information for 4/2 SBCT
Head on over to the Facebook Page for the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker) for important redeployment information for the brigade.
1LT Michael L. Runyan
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 52nd Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Related:
5/2 SBCT Gets New Leadership
Change at the top of just-returned Stryker brigade - The News Tribune
The Army is moving quickly to change commanders of a Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade fresh from a year of hard duty in southern Afghanistan.Col. Harry D. Tunnell, IV, will relinquish command of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Thursday morning as part of a "welcome home" and uncasing of the colors ceremony at the local base. Also during the event at Watkins Field, a Silver Star medal will be presented to one soldier, and injured and wounded soldiers will ceremonially reunite with the brigade.
1LT Robert N. Bennedsen
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
1st Lt. Robert N. Bennedsen, 25, of Vashon, Wash., died July 18 at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd [Stryker] Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
Related:
Soldier from Vashon Island killed - The News Tribune
Vashon Island soldier remembered as a hero - KOMO News
US, Iraqi Soldiers Open Renovated Abu Ghraib School
BAGHDAD – Ebn Kuthrir School in Abu Ghraib was in desperate need of repair.
Children attended classes with outdated or broken equipment and had to suffer through the heat of summer without air conditioning. All of this made learning difficult for them.
Not anymore.
For the last few months, the school has been undergoing a facelift and is ready to receive the children. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Inf. Division, United States Division – Center, who helped coordinate the renovation, traveled to Abu Ghraib, July 17, to open the reconditioned school.
“It’s been a big change,” said 2nd Lt. Will Daigle, fire support officer and a Cleveland, Tenn., native assigned to Company C, 1st Bn. “It was run down. Now it is the nicest building in the neighborhood. It is something they can look up to.”
Stryker Soldiers Featured in Photo Set
Recent scenes from Iraq, an album of recent photos compiled by The Big Picture blog, has a number of photos featuring Stryker soldiers in it.
Soldiers Continue Redeployment to JBLM
FOB Tacoma - 5th Brigade commanders back from Afghanistan - The News Tribune
Most of the nearly 4,000 soldiers in a battle-weary Stryker brigade that spent a year in Afghanistan will have returned home to Joint Base Lewis-McChord by the end of this week, according to officials at the local base.The arrival of the brigade commander and his command team late Tuesday signifies that the deployment is all but over. The ceremonial end won't come until the unit's colors are uncased in the next few weeks.
Troopers Teach Iraqi Army Basic Forensics
By 2nd Lt. Joseph Dennis
KHARK, Iraq – An Iraqi Soldier from 5th Tank Battalion crouched down, shielding his eyes from the sun as he examined the ground beneath a doorframe.
“Right there,” he said, motioning toward a pile of gravel. Among the rocks, a small wire rose up and led through the door, a tell-tale sign that an improvised explosive device lurked just on the other side.
“Great job!” said Spc. Benjamin Peters, a scout with C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “What do you do now?”
Peters, a Healdsburg, Calif., native, is one of several troopers from the squadron training his Iraqi counterparts how to perform tactical site exploitation.
When terrorists detonate IEDs or fire weapons, they leave behind small pieces of evidence, usually fingerprints or pieces of hair, which U.S. and Iraqi forces can trace to individuals using modern forensics. However, oftentimes first responders are unaware of the potential evidence and tamper with it. As a result, they contaminate the site.
Arrowhead Brigade Prepares Diyala Province for Drawdown
DIYALA, Iraq — Operation Iraqi Freedom has led U.S. Forces to Diyala province, Iraq, for the greater part of the last decade. Along the way they have established bases that units have rotated in and out of, leaving behind equipment such as radios, ammunition and storage containers, to stockpile over the years.
As the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, stepped foot inside this province, they knew they would be one of the last units to do so. They started taking immediate action to help erase the footprints left throughout the province. To address the excess equipment that the brigade inherited upon its arrival, Task Force Transition was created by 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3 SBCT, 2nd ID.
“It’s not going to be like Vietnam with the images of helicopters being pushed into the water,” said Capt. Jonathan Cheek, of Highpoint, N.C., and the TF Transition officer in charge.
They began this task by exploring every nook and cranny to document everything found on the bases selected to be handed back over to the Government of Iraq by 3 SBCT, 2nd ID. While the group administered this process by making sure all of the paperwork was in order, Clean-Sweep teams were brought in from the 13th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, stationed at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
The job of these clean-sweep teams was to retrograde (re-enter into the Army supply system) the additional pieces equipment. These groups confirmed, re-inventoried, packaged, and shipped empty containers, and containers full of extra equipment, to other locations to be accounted for once again. So far, a total of 1,370 containers have been relocated by this system, said 1st Lt. Mark Hall, of Hollywood, Fla., and the brigade transportation officer responsible for overseeing movement of equipment and supplies.
An Accident That Saves Lives
CAMP LIBERTY – While Staff Sgt. Alqua Stephenson was conducting her normal inspection of the electronic warfare systems on several vehicles and taking notes in her notebook, she saw something was different.
“What the heck is this [antenna] doing here?” thought the electronic warfare non-commissioned officer in charge at 702nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “How did this antenna get up here?”
What Stephenson saw stood out like a sore thumb to her trained eye. The antenna, used to jam the signals of remote-detonated improvised explosive devices, wasn’t mounted in its usual place.
She spoke with Sgt. Erika Collins, a logistic specialist from the unit, who explained that her MaxxPro Plus Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle had been turned in to the repair shop earlier in the day to repair a mounting bracket holding an antenna in place. The bracket had been damaged by overhanging trees while on a convoy escort mission the night before.
Curious to find out how this would affect the antenna’s signal jamming capabilities, Stephenson and fellow Soldiers in the battalion’s EW section ran a few tests and discovered that the change in location provided the vehicle with better coverage than the original configuration.
Service Members Become Citizens During Independence Day Ceremony
[Soldiers from the 4/2 SBCT were among those who took the oath.]
Courtesy of 103rd Publuic Affairs Detachment
Baghdad – The voices of 156 service members echoed off the marble-covered walls of the Al Faw palace as they proudly sounded off with the United States Oath of Allegiance.
The rotunda of the palace was standing room only July 4 as United States Forces-Iraq hosted the 17th U.S. naturalization ceremony held in Iraq.
Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr., and his wife Dr. Jill Biden, were on hand as service members and civilians from across Iraq came to show their support for the new citizens.
Originally from 56 different countries, the new Americans now share a common bond of citizenship and have an additional reason to celebrate Independence Day.
Biden and Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, USF-I commanding general, both spoke to the service members before they recited the oath. They highlighted the selfless service the men and women have already given to their adopted country before becoming citizens.
Sabers Take the Lead in Spin Boldak
ZABUL, Afghanistan – The Sabers of 4th Squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment became the first Squadron in the Regiment to assume responsibility of an area of operation in southern Afghanistan. During a transfer of authority ceremony held, June 28, the Sabers replaced 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment as the commanding unit at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.
The transfer of authority from Task Force Saint to the Saber Squadron was marked with the Cavalry tradition of passing the command saber from the outgoing commander to the incoming.
“With the passing of the command saber,” said Lt. Col Andrew Green, the 4th Squadron, 2SCR commander, “comes the responsibility of sharing the pledge to work alongside our Afghan partners for all the people of the region.”
“I promise you today,” he continued, “that the Saber Squadron will continue the successful practices of Task Force Saint, and endeavor to find new areas in which to increase the capacity and effectiveness of our ANSF and GIRoA partners within this district.”
“Saber Soldiers are on the ground and ready to write the next chapter of our operations here.”
The Sabers are deployed to Afghanistan for 12-months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During their deployment, they will continue to provide security and stability for the people of Afghanistan.
(via Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System)
Convoy to Enemy Contact/Stationary Dismount [Video]
Documentation of Bravo Company Buffaloes 5-2 Stryker team convoying to enemy contact point and enduring an overnight stationary dismount. Once the morning came Bravo Co. Buffaloes 5-2 Stryker mounted and convoyed to Firebase Baghtu. From there Bravo Co. Buffaloes 5-2 Stryker convoyed back to Frontenac. Produced by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Curteman.
Patrol to Village in Search of Weapons Cache [Video]
U.S. Army Buffaloes 5-2 Stryker/Coalition forces taking control of the village Haji Sofi and conducting searches and questioning locals for enemy insurgents and weapons caches. Produced by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Curteman.
Memorial Day Ceremony at Frontenac [Video]
U.S. Army Buffaloes 5/2 Stryker conducts ceremony on the 31st of May 2010 Memorial Day at Frontenac FOB. Produced by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Curteman.
The Cavalry Is Here [Video]
Package about 4th Squadron 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment assumes responsibility for area of operations during a transfer of authority ceremony. The 4/2 SCR took over for 8th Squadron 1st Cavalry Regiment out of Ft. Lewis, WA. Sound bites include Lt. Col. Andrew Green. Produced by Spc. Audrey Glynn.
New Benefits Help Those With PTSD
Post-traumatic stress benefits to be easier for vets - The News Tribune
WASHINGTON – The government is taking what President Barack Obama calls “a long overdue step” to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, making it easier for them receive federal benefits.The changes that Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will announce Monday fulfill “a solemn responsibility to provide our veterans and wounded warriors with the care and benefits they’ve earned when they come home,” Obama said in his weekly radio and online address Saturday.
The new rules will apply not only to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but also those who served in previous conflicts.
PFC Jacob A. Dennis
The Department of Defense announced on July 8th the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Jacob A. Dennis, 22, of Powder Springs, Ga., died July 3 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained June 30 in a weapons system accident at Forward Operating Base Lane, Afghanistan (Zabul province). He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Related:
2 deployed Lewis-McChord soldiers die of injuries - The News Tribune
Dragoons Ring in Independence Day With Uncasing of Colors
Story by Sgt. Gerald Wilson
ZABUL, Afghanistan – The Dragoons of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment celebrated this Fourth of July with the official uncasing of the Regimental colors at FOB Lagman in Zabul Afghanistan. This historic event marks the 2SCR’s official assumption of command of Task Force Dragoons and Combined Team Zabul.
In a stirring speech that would rival the immortal words of Patton himself, Col. James Blackburn, the 75th Regimental Commander put an inspirational perspective on the unit’s mission as he addressed the Troops.
“The questions, if not us then who? If not now then when? Have been asked for a very long time,” he said. “Well I will tell you as we stand here on the Fourth of July, our forefathers already have answered those questions for us.”
“It is you and it is now!” Blackburn continued. “There is no question this war will be won this year, and this war will be won by Soldiers of this Regiment for the Afghan people.”
“It will be won right here in southern Afghanistan where it started,” he said. ‘The Taliban’s cradle will become it’s grave, here in southern Afghanistan, as the Soldiers of this fantastic Regiment write the next chapter of our history.”
Blackburn stressed the magnitude of the role each Soldier will play in the Dragoon’s mission in Afghanistan.
“You are part of something much larger than yourself,” he said. “We are all part of something much larger than just this Regiment, but this Regiment will be pivotal in the victory here.”
The colonel closed by urging each Soldier to remain dedicated and focused and not lose sight of the Regiment’s ultimate goal, providing for the security of the Afghan people.
“There is no time to stop and wait for somebody to build a better bunk,” he said. “To wait for somebody to create the best FOB.”
“There is a very, very narrow window of opportunity we will exploit in short order.”
“Thank all of you for what you’ve done to this point and thank you more importantly for what you are about to do in the future.”
We are not just Dragoons for a three year term PCS tour. We are Dragoons for life! The colors are the symbol of the unit. Un-casing the colors mean that 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment, the oldest continuously serving regiment in the United States Army, are here and ready for operations in Afghanistan. Toujour Pret.
(via Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System)
5/2 SBCT Officer Describes Deployment
E-Mails Tell a Soldier’s Story - Connection
Like all soldiers, 1st Lt. Tracy Tyson, 25, U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, has seen hard times. For now, let’s talk about the good — and there is a lot — that is being done all over Afghanistan.Tyson deployed with the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, an infantry unit structured around the Stryker fighting vehicle. Operating from Kandahar Airfield, KAF, in southern Afghanistan, Tyson is a Preventive Medicine Officer. Tyson and Staff Sgt. Matthew Canady, a Preventive Medicine Technician, have traveled throughout southern Afghanistan and occasionally into other areas.
The primary mission is to take care of U.S. soldiers — approximately 4,000 infantrymen — in the 5th Stryker Brigade. At this point, Tyson and Canady face a unique challenge. The 5th Stryker Brigade has set up and torn down a large number of Forward Operation Bases, FOBs, which house 1,000 troops, and Combat Outposts, COPs, home to 100 soldiers or less.
4th SBCT Raid [Photos]
New photo album at DVIDS featuring the 4/2 SBCT.
Caption: U.S. Army Pfc. Justin McQuaid, from Windson, Calif., of 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division travels with his platoon to attend a local counsel meeting outside of Forward Operating Base Taji, Iraq, July 3. U.S. Soldiers attended the function to discover how the area is handling the withdraw of U.S. forces.
A Little Time Offers a Lot of Development
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — Two Stryker vehicles roll along a sandy road, leaving billowing clouds of dust behind them. Each one has a Soldier inside scanning the horizon through the remote weapon system inside.
These Stryker vehicles are not barreling through the streets of Iraq, nor moving towards a mission objective. They are being driven by the remaining members of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, during a training class on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq.
The majority of 2/3 Inf., departed Iraq for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in May, after handing over their station at Forward Operating Base Normandy to the Iraqi army. Forty-one Soldiers volunteered to stay behind, in order to prepare their vehicles to transfer to the incoming unit that will replace them.
“We have been doing a lot of work on the vehicles since we have been here, with cleaning and maintenance, to make sure they are in top shape for the new unit,” said Spc. Brandon Blomeley, a Portland, Ore., native and driver for Alpha Company, 2/3 Inf. “There has been a lot more time here for us since we aren’t doing missions, and that gives us a chance to take a closer look at the problems that need fixed to make sure it gets done right.”
Dr. Jill Biden celebrates Fourth of July with Raider Brigade
Story by Sgt. Bryce Dubee
BAGHDAD – Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, met with members of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division “Raiders” and other deployed service members and civilians at Camp Liberty Sunday as part of a visit to Iraq during the 4th of July weekend.
Biden made a stop at the brigade headquarters and met briefly with Col. John Norris, the brigade commander, before joining Raider Brigade Soldiers for a Fourth of July barbecue celebration.
“I just want to say what an honor it is to spend the 4th of July with my family,” she said, explaining that as the mother of a Soldier, she considers the military her extended family.
Biden expressed her appreciation of the deployed Soldiers’ hard work and thanked them and their families for their service.
“I think she’s a pretty good role model for females,” said Sgt. Nicole Golden, an intelligence analyst with 45th Military Intelligence Company, 4th SBCT, 2nd Inf. Div., who had a chance to meet with Biden. “I appreciate that she took the extra time to take a picture with us.”
After dining with the troops, Biden was given a walk-through of a few of the capabilities of the Stryker combat vehicle.
Sgt. Jed Glover, the vehicle commander, said he was impressed by just how interested Biden was in the capabilities of the vehicle.
“She clearly took it a little more to heart with her son being in the military,” he said. “It’s an honor for me to give her a presentation on what do.”
(via Digital Video & Imagery Distribution System)
2nd SCR Begins Afghanistan Mission With Partnership and Professionalism
Story by Sgt. Gerald Wilson
ZABUL, Afghanistan –Partnership and professionalism was the theme Wednesday night June 30 as key leaders from U.S., Romanian, Lithuanian, and Afghan Forces gathered at Forward Operations Base Lagman for a Transfer of Authority dinner. The dinner was held to honor the partners which compose Combined Team Zabul by outgoing 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division that made up Task Force Fury and to welcome the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment as it assumes command leadership of CTZ.
Task Force Fury Command Sgt. Major Mark Sturdevant said that the road that lies before 2SCR will be a difficult and often times a perilous one, but stressed how important the struggles are for the people of Zabul to understand and feel what freedom is like for those who have it.
Sturdevant also said there is light at the end of that long dark road with the people that make up Combined Team Zabul. Task Force Fury Commander Col. Brian Drinkwine continued the evening by reflecting on his time in command and the cooperation he shared with his coalition brethren.
“When we talk about Zabul,” he said. “We talk about true partnership, integration and true brother and sisterhood.”
“For the paratroopers and Soldiers that I command,” he continued. “It has been a great honor to work with and learn from my Afghan brothers how to take care of the people and do the mission right.”
Strykers sign over their final base to Iraqi army
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — After the papers were signed, and the ink was dry, Forward Operating Base Grizzly, Iraq, became property of the Iraqi army during a transfer of authority ceremony as part of the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq, July 2.
“Today, our nations are bonded together with the ideals that freedom and liberty are the cornerstone of our great nations,” said Iraqi army Lt. Col. Latiff, commander of 1st Battalion, 37th Infantry. “This has not come cheaply. Thousands of Iraqi and American soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors have paid for this with their lives. The soldiers you see in this room, and the ones you’ll see in this ceremony today, are representatives of those we have lost.”
At the end of the ceremony, members of each army assisted in handling the flags of both nations as the U.S. flag was lowered and the Iraqi flag was raised.
This is the third base signed over by the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, in Diyala province. The Tomahawks of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment have lived here during the past 10 months and have spent their deployment not only conducting combined missions with the Iraqi security forces, but spent many days inventorying and cleaning in preparation to hand off the post.
JBLM Prepares for Influx of Soldiers
The impact of JBLM troops coming back - The News Tribune
By the fall, nearly 18,000 men and women from various local units will have returned this year – the largest incoming tide since both wars started.Just between Thursday and Sunday, some 800 troops were scheduled to come home to holiday weekend embraces.
For military families as well as surrounding South Sound communities, deployment —and preparing for a homecoming — can take on a familiar rhythm.
Police agencies prepare for young soldiers eager to taste freedom again. Schools gear up for more children, colleges for adult students seeking new skills. Everyone braces for more freeway traffic. And businesses get ready for returning customers.
Logistics Team Breaks Through Issues
Story by Pvt. Zach Zuber
DIYALA, Iraq — Among the many buildings on Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, there is one that Soldiers may never enter. The technicians in this office function as an all-encompassing service group for Soldiers of 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The Brigade Logistics Support Team is the final support line for any issue Soldiers are unable to fix through normal command channels. They are a group of logistical experts in fields such as weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and communications equipment that can provide outside expertise and a higher level of support when a difficulty arises.
“We have 14 personnel here who provide a direct liason between the brigade and Army Materiel Command to assist with any problems the Soldiers cannot fix through their own means,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Daniel Lal, from Hilo, Hawaii, the BLST chief. “For example if a Soldier had a problem with their weapon, we could step in and ensure they get the part needed to fix it, and coordinate with the manufacturer to make sure no one else experiences the same issue.”
This is just one example of the many areas affected by the BLST during their daily duties. Each day, their representatives visit specific areas around the FOB to speak with the Soldiers they are supporting.
Medical mission aids refugees
Story by Pfc. Adrian Muehe
DIYALA, Iraq — As the sun rose over the Bakhtiyari neighborhood of Khaniqan, Iraq, citizens started lining up at the local clinic to receive medical care, June 22. The treatment being offered wasn’t from the normal medical staff of one doctor and several nurses. Instead, medics and doctors from three battalions of 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, treated the patients.
Coming together for this Military Civilian Medical Operation were Soldiers from Charlie Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion; Headquarters Support Battery, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, and Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment.
Throughout the day approximately 300 people entered the clinic to seek treatment and medicine for their ailments ranging from minor aches and pains to more serious injuries or diseases. While these men, women, and children displayed different symptoms, they all share a common background.
“Bakhtiyari is actually made up of a lot of residents who were prior displaced persons in Iran,” said Capt. Nick Shallcross, of Longmont, Colo., and the commander of Alpha Troop, 1/14th Cav. “They are all Iraqi, many of whom are Shia, that were kicked out of Iraq by the Saddam regime. They lived in refugee camps in Iran, and then came back to Khaniqan after the fall of Saddam.”
Cav Scouts Share Knowledge With Iraqi Police Partners
Story by: 2nd Lt. Joseph Dennis
TARMIYAH, Iraq -- With a bang and a door bursting open, Iraqi policemen kicked off an urban assault exercise at the Tarmiyah Iraqi Police station June 26.
They conducted the training under the watchful eye of 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and an Iraqi Police advisory team from Tarmiyah.
“Great job, but remember to bend from your knees, not from your waist,” said Staff Sgt. Anthony Lovell, a member of Troop B, and a Constantinople, Ariz., native, as he analyzed their form.
Medics test for best honors in Raider Brigade
Story by Spc. Luisito Brooks
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Sixteen medics from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, participated in a top medic challenge at Camp Taji June 21.
The competition stretched the abilities of eight, two-medic teams who travelled from bases large and small across the brigade area of operations. Each of the six battalions in the brigade was allowed to send as many as two teams, the goal being to determine the best team through grueling challenges aimed at testing Soldier and medic skills.
“It takes a lot of heart and determination to be the best medic,” said Staff Sgt. Steven Haney, a health care sergeant from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment. “You have to set your goals and not let yourself come up short.”
Completing the tasks could have been tough enough, but they faced the additional challenge of a harsh Iraqi environment in which to compete.
“Even though it was at night, it was still roughly 100 degrees out,” said Haney. “The heat takes a lot out of you.”
Officials factored in the heat when deciding to conduct the competition during the night in order to ensure teams proceeded through the entire course safely and with minimize risk of heat casualties.
