Black Jack Brigade meets, exceeds retention goals for the year

Photo By Spc. Alexis Harrison | Staff Sgt. Brian Fulton, a San Diego native with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is administered the oath of enlistment by his commander, Capt. Michelle Ramos, during a ceremony at the front gate of Forward Operating Base Prosperity in central Baghdad, Sept. 12. The Black Jack Brigade smashed its retention goals for the fiscal year by helping re-enlist almost 900 Soldiers, half of whom elected to stay in the 1st Cavalry Division.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

09.17.2007

Story by Spc. Alexis Harrison 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

by Spc. Alexis Harrison
2nd Brigade Combat Team,1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq – The 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, has met its retention goals for the fiscal year and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

The Black Jack retention team reports that they have met the goal set forth and awarded more than $10 million in bonuses, and affirmed stabilization and Army schools to almost 900 Soldiers currently in Iraq.

According to Master Sgt. Randy Kuhnau, the brigade's retention non-commissioned officer in charge, large, lump-sum deployment bonuses are not the only thing Soldiers are after when they come to his office inside the palace.

Unit stabilization, career-enhancing schools and changes of station are also accepted options during re-enlistment talks. Kuhnau said that many Soldiers choose the stabilization more than the others because of several factors. More than half of the people he has helped reach their re-enlistment goals have chosen to stay in the cavalry, an amazing fact when you consider just a few years ago the seemingly-difficult goal of 35 percent was being met, according to Kuhnau.

Kuhnau said that many Soldiers considering re-enlisting might not know all the options they have. He said that Soldiers have a choice between five options to take when re-enlisting; not to mention the bonus that comes with them for being in an under-strength career field or being deployed.
Aside from stabilization, stateside station of choice, the bonus extension and retraining (BEAR) option for Soldiers looking for a change in specialty, or for those looking for a drastic change of scenery, the overseas location option are all on the table for Soldiers thinking about re-enlisting.

Kuhnau said that although the ultimate decision is up to the Soldier, many things should be considered before deciding to re-enlist, especially family needs and concerns.

"A lot of folks have kids in school or even kids on the way," he said. "To pick up a family and move them is tough on a family. The stabilization works out because the spouses might have jobs and the kids might be in school. Sometimes we have to work hard to get assignments for certain (military occupational specialties) to make that stabilization possible."

San Diego native Staff Sgt. Brian Fulton re-enlisted indefinitely after already having completed 11 years of service. He said he had made the decision to re-enlist as a careerist without even knowing he'd be getting an almost $30,000 bonus along with a guaranteed career.

Fulton said that he will use a good portion of the bonus for his retirement and use the rest to pay off an adoption he and his wife made.

He said that his wife, a former Soldier and Marine now working as a police officer in Killeen, Texas, was very supportive of him making the Army a career.

Before the concerns of stabilization or even re-enlisting come into mind, Kuhnau said that leaders at all levels have to take into account how valuable Soldiers are. He added that the current success of the Black Jack Brigade's re-enlistment campaign is due almost entirely to leaders.

"We have good commanders, good non-commissioned officers and good leaders at all levels who help make this happen," he said. "Also, a lot of Soldiers have seen that this deployment isn't as bad as they might have thought and it helps keep them in longer."

While initial-term Soldiers goals have been smashed, Kuhnau said that the mid-term Soldiers are the people who are the hardest to keep in the Army.

He likens their situations to coming to a fork in the road of life. On one hand, many mid-term Soldiers have been in for several years and with one more re-enlistment; they could easily make a career out of the Army and retire from the service. On the other hand, they could also cut their ties, go back to school or the civilian work force with an honorable discharge and several years of service cemented into their resumes.

There are still several months until the Black Jack team redeploys. Kuhnau said Soldiers can re-enlist right up until the last day in Kuwait during the unit's redeployment.

"Soldiers will re-enlist if they are being taken care of," he said. "Soldiers that aren't being taken care of usually make up their minds about re-enlisting very quickly."

• Date Taken: 09.17.2007
• Date Posted: 09.17.2007 10:54
• Story ID: 12388
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ