Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt | First lieutenants from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division were...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Hunt
Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Fifteen first lieutenants from the Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, were promoted to captain and donned the "Ivy Division" war patch at a ceremony Camp Taji, July 4.
The officers were eligible to be promoted to their new rank, July 1; additionally, they were also authorized to don their combat patch on their right shoulder on that date as well, but leaders throughout the brigade felt it would be more fitting to promote the young officers and award them their patches on Independence Day, in Iraq.
"I made these guys wait until the fourth of July because this is a milestone for these officers," said Col. Patrick Tierney, commander of the CAB. "What this means (the promotion) is that everyone knows you've been in the Army a while and you are expected to command and lead."
The CAB recently arrived in the Iraqi theater and will take over responsibility of the Multi-National Division – Baghdad area of operations for aviation support later this month from the 12th CAB, which is based out of Germany.
The deployment marks the third time the "Iron Eagles" from Fort Hood, Texas, have deployed to the region since the war started in 2003. The brigade is set to support MND-B operations with combat, logistical and medical support, using its inventory of Black Hawk, Air Ambulance, Apache Longbow and CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters.
As the brigade gets set to continue the mission in Iraq, so are some of the new captains who have been with the brigade during previous deployments.
"I deployed once before with this same brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07, so the war patch wasn't new for me," said Capt. David Garrison, brigade assistant intelligence officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, CAB. "The ceremony was nice, but I wish my wife could have been there. I guess it was kind of fitting that the promotion happened to fall at the beginning of the deployment and on Independence Day.
"As far as looking towards the deployment, I hope we can pick up where Task Force XII left off – continue with the successes that have been made throughout MND-B and get everyone in the brigade back home safely," he said.
Iron Eagles promoted to captain were: Capt. Carlos Arrow, medical operations officer, Headquarters Support Company, 404th Avn. Spt. Battalion, from Harker Heights, Texas; Capt. Joshua Cambra, platoon leader, Co. C, 3rd Bn., 4th Avn. Regiment, from Enumclaw, Wash.; Capt. Michael Gabrhel, platoon leader, Co. B, 4th Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Tucson, Ariz.; Garrison, from New Iberia, La.; Capt. Joshua Graves, executive officer, Co. D, 4th Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Silsbee, Texas; Capt. O.Z. Henry, Co. C, 1st Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Augusta, Ga.; Capt. Morgan Laird, brigade assistant plans and operations officer, HHC, 4th Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Naperville, Ill.; Capt. Brian Lutz, platoon leader, Co. B, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Glenview, Ill.; Capt. Lionel Macklin, platoon leader, Co. A, 3rd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Ozark, Ala.; Capt. David Powell, platoon leader, Co. C, 3rd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Summerville, S.C.; Capt. Gary Preston, executive officer, Co. E, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Helotes, Texas; Capt. Lindsay Ryan, platoon leader, Co. A, 4th Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Williamsville, N.Y.; Capt. Eric Shanley, platoon leader, Co. B, 1st Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Plymouth, Mass.; Capt. Alan Smith, intelligence officer, HHC, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Harker Heights; and Capt. Michael Tully, platoon leader, Co. B, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., from Hampton Township, N.J.
| Date Taken: | 07.04.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.07.2008 00:37 |
| Story ID: | 21240 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 557 |
| Downloads: | 149 |
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