By Maj. Jason Fetterolf
2-113th Infantry Battalion
CAMP BUCCA, Iraq – The commander and command sergeant major of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, visited Camp Bucca for the first time on a breezy, sun-drenched Nov. 22 morning after arriving from their base of operations at the Joint Area Support Group Headquarters in Baghdad.
With positive spirits and beaming smiles, 50th IBCT Commander Col. Steven Ferrari and Command Sgt. Maj. David Kenna greeted Soldiers from all 11 companies from the 50th IBCT deployed to Camp Bucca in order to assess the working conditions and to recognize individual Soldiers for excellence.
According to Ferrari, when New Jersey native Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander, Multi-National Forces-Iraq, visited Camp Bucca two weeks earlier, he was highly impressed with the 50th IBCT and Ferrari echoed that as he spoke to the men and women who took a brief pause from their daily duties to appreciate the accolades.
Ferrari, Kenna, and a small entourage were escorted by Lt. Col. Mark Piterski, Forward Operating Base Bucca Base Defense commander and Lt. Col. Dean Spenzos, FOB Bucca deputy commander for a tour of the base. Ferrari and Kenna thanked Camp Bucca's 50th IBCT Soldiers for the work they do in three main operational areas – internal and external base defense, mayoral and installation management, and detainee operations.
As identified by their individual company commanders, Ferrari recognized several Soldiers per company for their outstanding efforts by proudly awarding them with the uniquely-shaped, tri-colored 50th IBCT Coin of Excellence. The eye-catching coin had some awardees such as Staff Sgt. Edward Michela, 1460th Transportation Co., very impressed in the coin's look. The 1460th Transportation Co. is part of the Mich. Army National Guard that joined the 50th IBCT in February.
The 11 companies of the 50th IBCT at Camp Bucca arrived in early September and are scheduled to redeploy to the U.S. in late spring 2009. Piterski commands the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Regiment and Spenzos commands the 1st Squadron, 102nd Cavalry Regiment.
Camp Bucca is a forward operating base along the Kuwaiti border near the port city of Umm Qasr, Iraq's southernmost city.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2008 02:13 |
| Story ID: | 27003 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 338 |
| Downloads: | 217 |
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