Over the course of several weeks, the Rail Gunner leadership has presented the brigade’s coin to select Soldiers in the support units on FOB Delta.
“During this deployment this brigade task force has been assembled as a composite of numerous units,” said Col. Dick Francey, 41st Fires Brigade commander and commander of American troops in Wasit province. “Because we have a (brigade combat team) mission but are not constructed as a BCT, it was essential to augment us with other capabilities.”
Francey said building a BCT was simple on paper, but in execution “we built this airplane while in flight.”
“We’ve had the support of eight different Coalition units and multiple U.S. – based units in support of this operation,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kelvin Hughes, 41st Fires Brigade. “It is our honor to take the time to stop by these units and present them with a small token and to say thanks for their hard work and sacrifice in making this a great team.” The leadership of each unit decided which Soldiers would receive the honor, based on their performance during deployment, said 1st Sgt. Craig Abel, Company B, 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, Florida National Guard, one of the units that was honored.
“Sgt. Posey was an easy choice, because of his extracurricular activities such as teaching. But the other Soldiers were strictly on job performance,” said Abel of Sgt. Bruce Posey, a tactical satellite team chief who has also taught college classes and Functional Academic Skills Training classes at the FOB Delta Education Center.
Other units recognized included: 542nd Support Maintenance Company; 1-150th Assault Helicopter Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard; and 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. The Rail Gunner command team plans to visit more troops as the brigade’s redeployment to Fort Hood draws closer.
