30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team Soldiers tape-on secret identities

Photo By Staff Sgt. Ruth McClary | National Guard units traditionally are close-knit organizations, with Soldiers having served together for many years at a time. Since deploying to Iraq in early 2009, the bonds between 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team Soldiers have grown even stronger. The familiarity has not only bred esprit-de-corps, but in some cases esprit-de-nicknames or special patches, some of which are shown above.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

08.15.2009

Story by Spc. Ruth McClary 

30th Armored Brigade Combat Team

BAGHDAD — National Guard units traditionally are close-knit organizations, with Soldiers having served together for many years at a time. Since deploying to Iraq in early 2009, the bonds between 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team Soldiers have grown even stronger.

The familiarity has not only bred esprit-de-corps, but in some cases esprit-de-nicknames.

"They call me 'Pale Rider', said Capt. Mike Allen, chaplain, of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 150 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron. "It's the title of a movie starring Clint Eastwood, who was a preacher that carried a gun and cleaned house when people messed with him.

"Bravo Troop gave me the nametape because I was a preacher coming to war," he said.

Allen, of Parkersberg, W.Va., does not carry a weapon and was also given the squadron's Bravo Troop patch showing a crossed sabers and a skull, tagging him as an "official Troop B outlaw."

Bravo Troop gave the same patch to the West Virginia National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Allan Tackett during his visit to Iraq in June. Tackett also helped give credibility to the nickname of Capt. Chris Piasecki, pronounced Puh-sets-ski, the squadron's fire support officer.

"During the staff call meeting they started calling me 'Capt. P-Sexy' because all of them had a problem pronouncing my name," said Piasecki of St. Clairsville, Ohio. "Even Maj. Gen. Tackett called me 'P-Sexy' when he visited, so I guess that makes it official."

Two of the three officers who work with Piasecki have unofficial nametapes showing their nicknames. Although the nametapes can fit securely on uniforms, none of the Soldiers wear them. The secret identities have been placed on personal bags or in other locations.

Civil-military officer, Capt. Walter Hatfield, of Charleston, W. Va., is the patriotic "Captain America." He received the name during pre-deployment from Soldiers because he was always upbeat and motivated during the training.

Civil affairs officer, Capt. Tim O'Neil, of San Diego, has two nicknames: he's known as Captain "Chaos" and "Crunch Berry." The nicknames make perfect sense to those who know him: O'Neil was the platoon leader in a unit nicknamed "Company Chaos" and he loves to eat Cap'n Crunch Berries cereal.

Civil affairs non-commissioned officer Sgt. Christopher Nishio, of San Diego has come up with a unique way to formulate his secret identity: he turns his nametape upside down. The letters, all capitalized, reads "OIHSIN" when he's on missions.

Sgt. John Theriault, of Durham, N.C., and Staff Sgt. Stanley Nieves, of Winston-Salem, N.C., both of the deputy brigade commander's personal security detail, have difficult-to-pronounce names.

Theriault, a French name pronounced Terry-o, became "Sgt. Cheerios" after so many pronunciation screw-ups. Additionally, on one mission he was jokingly called 'Honey Nut' and that nickname stuck, too.

Nieves, pronounced Ny-eh-ves, has two nicknames: "Latino Heat" and "Chico." Which one is used depends on his mood, he said.

Much like the Velcro-backed name tapes themselves, these nicknames will most likely stick long past the end of the brigade's deployment.

• Date Taken: 08.15.2009
• Date Posted: 08.17.2009 07:55
• Story ID: 37572
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ