172nd SBCT Soldiers first to re-up in fiscal 07

Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Spc. Timothy Jones and Spc. Anthony Hernandez, both of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, recite the oath of enlistment Oct. 10 during a reenlistment ceremony here.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.10.2006

Story by Spc. Cal Turner 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

by Spc. C. Terrell Turner
1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Two Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, led the way Tuesday as two of the first Soldiers in the Army to re-enlist on Camp Taji as fiscal 2007 began.

Spc. Timothy Jones, a recon scout, and Spc. Anthony Hernandez, human resource specialist, both with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Bn., 1st Inf. Regt., recited the oath of enlistment in front of their peers and leaders outside of their barracks.

The 172nd SBCT, which is based out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska, was previously located in Mosul for a year before being extended and relocated at Camp Taji to help quell sectarian violence in Baghdad, said Staff Sgt. Steven Schack, career counselor, 2nd Bn., 1st Inf. Regt.

Despite the extension in Iraq, Jones remains positive and upbeat about the deployment and reenlisting for stabilization with the 172nd SBCT.

"I enjoy being in the Army, and I want to continue my career as a scout," said Jones. "Alaska is just a great place to be. My wife is a registered nurse at the post hospital. I just like it there. The hunting and fishing are great."

Hernandez chose the station of choice reenlistment option and is headed to Fort Irwin, Calif., to be closer to his family after his deployment ends.

"I've been with the unit for three years," he said. "It's a good unit, and I've enjoyed my time here with the unit and in Iraq. I chose the station of choice option after a lot of encouragement from my wife. My chain of command was very supportive as well. It was more about my family than the bonus money."

Of the 807 Soldiers in the 2nd Bn., 1st Inf. Regt., Hernandez and Jones were not the only ones expressing interest in reenlisting, said Schack.

"I've had a lot of Soldiers talk to me about reenlisting, but most of them wanted to wait until October 1," he said. "We haven't received our annual mission yet but met our annual mission for 2006 on June 1 and exceeded our reenlistment goals in every category."

• Date Taken: 10.10.2006
• Date Posted: 10.10.2006 09:13
• Story ID: 7967
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ