Photo By Staff Sgt. James E. Brown | (right) Sgt. Maj. Kevin Bateman, a native of Salem, Ind., stands on the firing line to...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. James E. Brown Jr.
1st Sustainment Brigade
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The year was 1971, and the Vietnam War was still raging. Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden, Apollo 15 was launched, Walt Disney World opened its gates in Orlando, Florida, and Lance Armstrong, Mary J. Blige, and Kid Rock were born. These were only a few of the significant events that happened that year. 1971 was also the year Sgt. Maj. Kevin Bateman, a native of Salem, Ind., entered the Army and 34 years later he's still going strong.
His first enlistment was for three years with the XVIII Airborne Corps based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served as an Infantryman. Immediately following his departure from the active army component, he decided to give the Indiana National Guard a try.
Bateman worked his way up through the ranks to become the fifth first sergeant of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment to transfer to Scottsburg, Ind., and become the first sergeant of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment. However, in 2003, he moved to the Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center located near Edinburg, Ind., to serve as the Installation G3 Operations sergeant major. His reason - he wanted to deploy to Iraq.
"Here I sat with 30 plus years military service and had never been in a combat environment and I felt it was time I did my part over here. So, when I found out the 76th Infantry Brigade was being mobilized, I volunteered to deploy with them," recalled Bateman. "I had too long watched Soldiers that had been in my platoon or in one of the companies I had as a first sergeant, be deployed overseas as many as three times. It was time I took one of those slots and let someone else stay at home for a change."
Bateman currently serves with the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Sustainment Brigade as the operations sergeant major.
| Date Taken: | 09.21.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.21.2008 08:40 |
| Story ID: | 23944 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 148 |
| Downloads: | 122 |
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