Aviation brigade holds special re-enlistment in Iraq

Photo By Sgt. Roland Hale | Soldiers serving in Iraq with the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, stand in formation to re-enlist Oct. 2 in a special ceremony on Camp Taji, Iraq, a large U.S. base near Baghdad. The soldiers re-enlisted as their unit’s Forward Arming and Refueling Point celebrated pumping its millionth gallon of fuel that deployment. In the background, a Kiowa Warrior helicopter piloted by Col. Frank Muth and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Adam Garner approaches the FARP. Muth re-enlisted the soldiers as fuelers pumped the millionth gallon of fuel.  

CAMP TAJI, IRAQ

10.02.2010

Story by Spc. Roland Hale 

Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Ten soldiers serving in Iraq with an Army aviation battalion re-enlisted Oct. 2 in a special ceremony on Camp Taji.

The soldiers, assigned to the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, re-enlisted at a Forward Arming and Refueling Point on the base, as fuelers from their battalion celebrated pumping their millionth gallon of fuel during the deployment.

The support battalion is part of the Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, which deployed from Fort Riley, Kan., this March. The soldiers who re-enlisted represented several of the battalion’s facets, including transportation, supply and maintenance.

Staff Sgt. Justin Puls, the battalion’s career counselor and a native of Plantation, Fla., not only helped the Soldiers re-enlist, but also re-enlisted himself. Puls re-enlisted indefinitely, and plans to spend at least 20 years in the Army. This is his third re-enlistment, and also his most memorable, he said.

“As much as it was about me, it was about everyone I re-enlisted with. It was a great opportunity to go out there with those soldiers,” said Puls. “It makes me proud, not only of the soldiers, but also to be a part of the battalion pumping that millionth gallon.”

Pfc. Syrita Wilson, a motor transport operator with the battalion and a native of Warner Robbins, Ga., also re-enlisted.

“It was good to have other people re-enlist with me, and at the same time know that we reached the 1 million mark,” said Wilson.

Wilson re-enlisted for six more years of service, and plans to make the military a career after becoming an officer.

The battalion will hold several more re-enlistment ceremonies before it redeploys to Fort Riley next March. The battalion’s fueling point on Camp Taji also plans to pump over 2 million gallons by the deployment’s end.

• Date Taken: 10.02.2010
• Date Posted: 10.05.2010 11:58
• Story ID: 57540
• Location: CAMP TAJI, IQ