Photo By Eric Petrevich | New Jersey National Guard members making the historic first 50th Infantry Brigade...... read more read more
By Capt. Adam Kama
50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
The 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Regiment, 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team entered into a combat zone for the first time in 64 years in historic fashion, Sept. 4, 2008.
The New Jersey National Guard's only cavalry unit was carried into battle by another of New Jersey's own, Alpha Co., 104th Aviation Battalion.
The command group, Lt. Col. Dean T. Spenzos and Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Marvian, as well as select others of the 1-102nd Cavalry were the first 50th IBCT Soldiers to cross the border into Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Alpha Co., 104th Aviation Battalion volunteered to make the unscheduled 25-minute sortie from Camp Buehring, Kuwait to drop the Cavalry "troopers" off at their new Forward Operating Base, Camp Bucca, nicely representing the New Jersey National Guard's esprit de corps.
"This was a significant event that occurred between Kuwait and Iraq - one New Jersey Guard team airlifting another New Jersey Guard team into a combat theatre of operations. Overall, this is a small event that occurred thousands of miles from N.J. but I was impressed with the positive attitude and initiative of New Jersey Army National Guard Soldiers," said Spenzos.
"It's truly amazing that at almost any time and place you can find a member of our New Jersey Guard family willing to help you out in whatever way possible," added Marvian.
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2008 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 25313 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 531 |
| Downloads: | 187 |
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