| Ohio’s “Buckeye Brigade” marches into history |
FORT HOOD, Texas - A warming midday sun ducked in and out of the clouds as a steady, cooling breeze whipped the colors, making their bearers grip the staffs tighter in an attempt to steady them. The colonel snapped to attention, shouted out a command and the massive, 2,500-Soldier formation began to move, marching across the field and into history. The troops, assigned to the Ohio Army National Guard’s 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, snaked around the parade field and passed in review before their leaders, families and friends March 27 in what was for many, the largest—and arguably the most significant—formation of their careers. After three months of training, they were finally on their way. Destination: Kuwait and Iraq. Estimated return: January 2009. “The Soldiers have worked hard and we’re ready to go,” said Brigade Commander Col. Richard T. Curry, who has previous deployments to Iraq, Kuwait and Korea under his belt. “I know the lay of the land. I plan to come home very proud that I contributed to the effort and made our nation strong.” The formal pass in review highlighted a sendoff ceremony from the brigade’s mobilization station to its forward operating base in Kuwait, where most will spend the remainder of the yearlong deployment. The “Buckeye Brigade,” comprised of about 1600 Soldiers from Ohio and 900 from Michigan, will conduct base operations and security duties and some units—Ohio’s 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment and Michigan’s 1st Squadron, 126th Cavalry Regiment—will also conduct convoy escort duties into Iraq. The 37th arrived at the east-central Texas post in January and spent three months training on North Fort Hood. It is by far the largest reserve component force to mobilize through the post to date, said Sgt. Amy E. McLaughlin, public affairs officer for the Fort Hood Mobilization Brigade. Command Sgt. Maj. Albert Whatmough, the senior-ranking enlisted man for the 37th, said the relative isolation at the training area on North Fort Hood was ideal for their purposes, allowing the Ohio and Michigan troops to fully integrate and concentrate on training. He praised his troops’ focus and said most of them were anxious to get on with the mission. “I’m always excited to deploy,” Whatmough said. “I’ve seen a lot more examples of volunteers than those who don’t want to go. Some of these guys have volunteered for two or three deployments. Their tenacity, their dedication to country amazes me every day.” A career Soldier and father of two, Whatmough deployed to Iraq in 2004 and understands the strain a deployment can put on families. However, he credits those same families with helping to prepare the troops for their mission. “It’s hard deploying,” the Akron native said. “My daughter is graduating high school this year, but we all must do our duty. It’s really the families, it’s their strength, the (Family Readiness Groups) back at home who make the difference. They helped these Soldiers stay focused on their mission during their time here. Their strength and confidence allowed them to do that.” Both Whatmough and Curry described the quality of training they and their troops received as exceptional. The mobilization brigade tailored training to the specific needs of the 37th as commanders weighed in with specific concerns. They also reorganized training to accommodate an amendment to the mission that required one of the Michigan units to be based in Iraq. Whatmough called the battalion sergeants major the “driving force” for the brigade, pushing the Soldiers to ensure they were fully prepared for each day’s training. “I can’t say enough about these guys,” Whatmough said. “The NCO leadership worked till it was done—not to the end of the prescribed duty day. These guys were up well after training ended, reading their manuals, aligning their optics to prepare for the range the next day, making sure they and their equipment were ready for training. I’ve heard so many great stories and seen so many great things.” The troops spent the afternoon following the ceremony with a Texas-style barbecue complete with games and activities. The event capped off a four-day weekend most spent with family and friends, many who had driven, flown and bused in to spend what might be their final weekend together with their loved ones for the next nine months. The event was organized by volunteers and all food was donated by a local vendor. Pfc. Jason Pontious, an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, spent the weekend surrounded by his extended family. After returning home from basic training this past June, he now leaves behind his wife, Tabitha and two sons, Caleb, who will be 2 in May and Wyatt, only 3 weeks old. He said although it was tough being separated from his family, the training he received at Fort Hood was invaluable. “It’s been great having them out here; we went to Sea World,” Pontious said. “It’s gonna be very hard to leave, especially with the new one. But I’m ready to go. I feel very prepared for this mission. The training overall was great and our company is great.” During the ceremony, Curry addressed the family members and thanked them for their sacrifices. “Leaving a family is definitely harder than fighting the war,” he said. “I want to say thanks to the families; without you, we couldn’t do it.” He also spoke of the sacrifices of his troops and of the mission ahead. “These Soldiers have demonstrated great courage and damn dogged determination,” Curry said. “This brigade is prepared to march forward to its destiny and complete the mission. Hooah!” - 30 - |
