BAGHDAD - Promoting a soldier is always an important event, but promoting a soldier as a first event during a deployment makes the occasion even more memorable. 2nd Lt. Jared C. Long was promoted to the rank of 1st Lt. at the Al Faw Palace on Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, June 04. 1st Lt. Long recently served as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer and is now a member of the Battalion S3 Shop in the Operations department.
1st Lt. Long had a number of personnel on-hand to provide him support during his promotion ceremony. A few of the VIPs that were present were Lt. Col. Kathy Fox, the 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) Commander; Maj. Benjamin Afeku, the 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) Executive Officer; and Command Sgt. Maj. Shannon Cromartie, the 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) Command Sergeant Major. Along with these VIPs was the HHC Commander, Capt. Joelle Quiapo, who had the privilege of pinning 2nd Lt. Long to 1st Lt., and 1st Sgt. Wendle Marshall, who brought along a multitude of HHC “Hellraisers,” as well as several other members of the 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) family.
The 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) was last deployed in 2009-2010 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with the same responsibility of providing strategic signal assets to customers throughout the Iraqi Joint Area of Operations. The 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) has just arrived in theater and will be replacing the 151st Expeditionary Signal Battalion later this month. Successful completion of this mission will require a great deal of operations support from 1st Lt. Long, as well as the rest of the 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) family.
After speaking with 1st Lt. Long, he stated that he originally would have liked to get promoted back in the United States. However, after being promoted at the Al Faw Palace, it has made this promotion more memorable than any other. 1st Lt. Long is originally from Rhode Island. He joined the United States Army in 2004 as an enlisted soldier and received his commission from the United States Military Academy in 2009.
The 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) hopes to promote many more soldiers during the current deployment, both officers and enlisted alike.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2011 03:07 |
| Story ID: | 72587 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 280 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 50th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary) promotes first soldier of current deployment, by SGT Amber McLamb, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
