Photo By Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith | Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia, the senior noncommissioned officer of the 4th Infantry...... read more read more
by Spc. Nathaniel Smith
4th Bridage Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
BAGHDAD – For the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, a new year and a new division didn't change the 'Dragons' retention fortunes.
The Fort Riley, Kan., based unit, which led Multinational Division-Baghdad in reenlisting Soldiers for fiscal 2007, started 2008 off in style by being awarded the commanding general's award from Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia, the senior noncommissioned officer of the 4th Infantry Division and MND-B, for the first quarter of the new fiscal year in a ceremony at the 4th BCT headquarters on Forward Operating Base Falcon, March 4.
The 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th BCT, currently attached to the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, earned the battalion-level retention award as a key contributor to the 744 Soldiers who have reenlisted in the task force, tallying up to almost $8 million in bonus money.
Sgt. Phillip White, the retention noncommissioned officer for the 610th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th BCT, said the brigade's success has been collaborative effort.
"Everyone's come together to reenlist the most Soldiers in the Baghdad area in the first three months. As far as being part of that, it's just part of my job," the Salem, Ill., native said. "Any time you get honored, it's great. It kind of reiterates the fact that you're a part of something larger than you are. The teamwork and everything else is great."
Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, the senior noncommissioned officer of the Dragon Brigade, said the award reflects on every Soldier in the brigade.
"This is a great day for the brigade. This recognizes the brigade for your mentorship, for your leadership, for your coaching," he said. "If it wasn't for the Soldiers doing that on a daily basis, our retention would not be where it is today."
White agreed that some of the brigade's retention success is due to its leaders.
"It all boils down to the leadership of the Soldiers," he said. "If the Soldiers didn't think they were being led, they didn't like their NCO's or their commanders they probably wouldn't be stepping forward to reenlist."
During the ceremony, Gioia said the retention noncommissioned officers of Task Force Dragon do a good job in a very difficult field.
"Retention right now is hard. The retention NCOs have the hardest job, trying to retain our force," he said. "We have to make sure we have somebody to replace us. It's important that we retain as many Soldiers as we can and keep them in the Army."
Keeping Soldiers around is something Task Force Dragon has done very well, with 50 percent of those eligible, roughly a third of the brigade opted to extend their Army careers.
White said he agreed.Keeping Soldiers in the Army is not always easy, he said. Getting them the right prospects for a career in the service is often easier said than done.
"The toughest part is coupling the needs of the Soldier with the Army. You have Soldiers on their second, third and fourth deployment and they want downtime, but they either don't have the rank or the knowledge to get that downtime," he said. "Trying to get those Soldiers somewhere where they won't deploy for the next year-and-a-half or two years, that's the hardest part, but for the most part, we're doing pretty well on it, taking care of Soldiers who have done multiple deployments.
"When you get them that long shot, though, that's the probably the most rewarding part of the job."
Even when Soldiers do get the right situation, Col. Ricky Gibbs, the 4th BCT commander from Austin, Texas, said it takes a special person to enlist and reenlist in a time of war.
"After Sept. 11, if you raised your hand, you have something in your heart other Americans don't have," Gibbs said. "These Soldiers stepped up to the plate in a time of war, with no draft, and elected to serve their country, knowing their chances of going to combat are very high, and right now, their country needs them even more."
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2008 13:31 |
| Story ID: | 17069 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 540 |
| Downloads: | 450 |
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