Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Cory Grogan | Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 218th Field Artillery has a formation upon arrival in Iraq.... read more read more
AL ASAD - The 2nd Battalion, 218th Field Artillery's Alpha Battery, of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, took time to honor their rich history while deployed in Iraq by preparing a video and having a dinner, Oct. 3, the same day the Alpha Battery Association had its 77th annual Alpha Battery Association Dinner in Oregon.
A Battery was formed in 1866 and is the oldest continuous artillery element west of the Mississippi river, said A Battery Commander, Capt. Eric Brenner.
"When I went to my first dinner in 1997, I wasn't sure what to expect. There were Soldiers who had been coming to the dinner for 50 years who joined during World War II and the Korean War. Seeing those people and all the articles, history and artifacts was an amazing experience," Brenner said.
Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Evans, Alpha Battery Readiness NCO, said that the evening is a good time where people share past experiences and give updates on what is currently going on.
Evans started his military career with Alpha Battery and said it has been an honor to be a part of it ever since then.
"This deployment is an experience we hope to be able to share; we are running out of guys who have actually deployed and we want to carry on our tradition," said Evans.
Sgt. 1st Class Richard Parker, a Convoy Commander and Platoon Sgt, also said it is an honor to be associated with the heritage of A Battery.
"When you're at the armory you see the pictures and hear the stories, then you go on deployment and know someday you will be the one in the story," Parker said. "We are proud to be here fulfilling our obligations and glad that we can still honor Alpha Battery while we are here."
Brenner said members of the Alpha Battery Association are a bit of a rowdy bunch who likes to play hard, but who have a lot of pride their organization. He said that recognizing the evening in Iraq is important to the deployed members of Alpha battery who are carrying on an important tradition.
He said it is also an honor to be able to show members of Alpha battery what life is like in Iraq with the video that was played at the association dinner.
| Date Taken: | 10.14.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2009 07:04 |
| Story ID: | 40085 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 323 |
| Downloads: | 279 |
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