Dragons welcome Raider torch

Photo By Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith | Sgt. Benjamin Buskill with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from Fremont, Ohio, carries his equipment off the Forward Operating Base Falcon flight line, March 20. Buskill and the rest of the "Raiders" come to south Baghdad from Fort Hood, Texas.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

03.25.2008

Story by Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith 

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

By Spc. Nathaniel Smith
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

BAGHDAD – It's a beginning of an end in southern Baghdad, and for some as far away as Kansas, there couldn't be better news.

With the end of their deployment nearing, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division welcomed the advanced party of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division of Fort Hood, Texas, to Forward Operating Base Falcon in south Baghdad's Rashid District, March 20-21.

The "Dragon" Brigade, the second of the "surge" brigades, is scheduled to return to Fort Riley, Kansas, later in the spring after spending 14 months in the Iraqi capital.

Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of the 4th BCT and native of Austin, Texas, said while his Soldiers may be on the stretch run, they still have a lot of work to do.

"The ADVON's arrival is an important milestone for transition between the Dragon and Raider brigades," Gibbs said. "We're glad to see the Raider Soldiers here at Falcon, and everyone's working hard to make sure we conduct a proper battle handover."

With her replacement showing up with the advanced party, Spc. Chenique Walker, an intelligence analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th IBCT, said she is trying to maintain her focus even though her replacement is now on the post.

"It's hard to concentrate," the Birmingham, Ala, native said. "It's not 'They're in Kuwait.' They're actually showing up at FOB Falcon."

Walker added that to keep her mind on the task at hand, she is teaching her replacement everything that she knows.

"I'm letting them ask me questions and that's keeping me focused. Whatever they want to know, I show them," she said.

For Sgt. Barbara Tobin, the training non-commissioned officer attached to HHC, 4th BCT who plans to stay with the 1st BCT, the arrival of the "Raider" ADVON means meeting her new co-workers.

"I find it easy to get along with most people; there shouldn't be any problem with the transition," the Anaheim, Calif., native said. "I've been looking forward to helping the new training NCO. Regardless of where they have me, I'll do the best I can."

The "Raiders," who are on their third deployment after deploying to Tikrit and Taji will assume responsibility of the Rashid District.

• Date Taken: 03.25.2008
• Date Posted: 03.25.2008 10:48
• Story ID: 17716
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ