Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Julian Brendel, command group assistant with “Griffin” Special Troops...... read more read more
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By 1st Lt. George Hotaling
BAGHDAD– Over 300 soldiers with “Griffin” Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center participated in their first battalion ‘esprit de corps’ fitness run, May 4, while deployed to Camp Liberty, Iraq.
The purpose of the run was to strengthen the camaraderie within the battalion and boost morale for soldiers throughout the formation during the approximate three-mile course.
“I love to run,” said 1st Lt. Drew Biddick, personnel officer with STB and a Norman, Okla., native. “So, running with the battalion provides me with a great opportunity to get in some extra miles and helps motivate the soldiers to strengthen their running abilities.”
Lt. Col. Shilisa Geter, battalion commander of the STB and a McRae, Ga., native, led the run with the battalion colors, staff officers and company guidons closely following.
“I loved seeing the different guidons leading the formation and I found the soldiers carrying the guidons motivating when they started to run around the formation,” said Staff Sgt. Kevin Dubose, an imagery intelligence analyst with Company A, STB and a Newton, Texas, native. “It certainly boosted my motivation.”
With any Army operation, big or small, someone has to plan out the details to ensure the event goes smoothly.
“The battalion commander told me she wanted to have a battalion run for the soldiers and gave me two weeks to plan the event,” said Master Sgt. Millord Holmes, the operations non-commissioned officer with STB and a Bronx, N.Y., native. “I mapped out the routes, prepared a risk assessment, signed for a set of speakers and coordinated all the other details with the companies. I think the run ended up being a great success and an event that soldiers really enjoyed.”
For some soldiers, the run was a rare occasion in which people who would not normally get to see each other due to schedule or work locations were able to reunite.
“Being in the formation and talking to everyone was one of the few times I have had the opportunity to work together and bond with the rest of the battalion,” said Sgt. John Hartmann, an intelligence analyst with Company A, STB and a Louer d’ Alene, Idaho, native.
Since the unit has surpassed the halfway point of their deployment, some saw the run as an opportunity to momentarily escape the fact that they are so far away from home.
“The midpoint during a deployment is the hardest time for soldiers,” said Capt. Jason Cano, company commander of Company A, STB and a Dallas, native. “Soldiers really start to feel the weight of being away from their loved ones, combined with all the stressors of a deployment. It’s good that we can come together outside of the office and get their minds off some of those stressors.”
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2011 05:43 |
| Story ID: | 70250 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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