Thunder Brigade re-enlistment personnel finding ways to make staying in Army exciting

Courtesy Photo | Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Richard Cody, signs an Oath of Re-enlist Certificate as Master Sgt. Darian Rucks, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade Career Counselor looks on.  

IRAQ

06.20.2006

Courtesy Story

159th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

The hard work of a few Non-commissioned officers has made the experience of re-enlistment for Thunder Brigade Soldiers memorable.

The battalion re-enlistment NCOs for the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade planned and executed special events such as re-enlisting in a UH-60 Black Hawk during a flight to Baghdad, gathering 302 of the brigade's re-enlistees around a large painting of Old Abe, and by video teleconference.

Overall, since the Soldiers of the brigade stepped foot in the desert in October, close to 5.5 million tax-free dollars have been given to the re-enlistees.

Even with the large amounts of money the Soldiers are receiving, the re-enlistment personnel say they feel it was important to ensure the re-enlistee is given a special occasion for continuing on with their service in the Army.

"Re-enlistment is a big step," said Master Sgt. Darian Rucks, 159th CAB Career Counselor. "The ceremony is the pinnacle of the re-enlistment, the reaffirming of what the Soldier stands for and believes in. The brigade retention team attempts to make each ceremony as 'special" as they can to each Soldier."

With more than 400 Soldiers re-enlisted during the current deployment, the brigade retention team worked with their commanders, first sergeants and command sergeants major to make a few of the individual re-enlistments a very special occasion.

The 101st re-enlistee of the deployment had the 101st Airborne Division Commander, Maj. Gen Thomas Turner re-enlist him. The 259th re-enlistee had the 159th CAB Commander, Col. Jeffrey Colt re-enlist him. Other general officers who have re-enlisted Soldiers in the brigade are Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Richard Cody, and 101st Airborne Division Assistant Division Commanders for Support and Operations, Brig. Gen. Rickey Rife and Brig. Gen. Michael Oates.

Not only did the retention team work to bring in general officers, but they planned events around the special occasions.
In March, two Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, re-enlisted at the Cross Sabers monument located in Baghdad.
Also, a handful of Soldiers from the brigade were re-enlisted by the brigade commander while in-flight to Baghdad.

Once the re-enlistment was over, Colt brought the group of re-enlistees to eat lunch in the Green Zone, located in Baghdad, and let them relax in the courtyard outside of the embassy for the day.
There was even a video teleconference re-enlistment where a mother, who happens to be a major in the Air Force and stationed in Arizona, re-enlisted her son over the VTC.

"When my son asked my to re-enlist him, I was honored," said Maj. Patricia Brubaker, whose son is in the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion. "As a mother it was extra special. The logistics of the whole thing was the biggest hurdle, but the modern communication and technology made it possible."

Also in March, Rucks and his team had their biggest challenge. They had to gather 302 of the previous re-enlistees together so they could line up around the brigade's large painting of Old Abe, while the 303rd re-enlistee was sworn in by Colt. The event was significant because it was a chance for the retention team to see first-hand all the work they had done.

"The 303rd re-enlistment was my favorite re-enlistment since arriving here in the area of responsibility," he said. "It enabled me to actually see what the brigade retention team accomplished in such a short period of time."

Over the past eight months the re-enlist team has work diligently to meet their goal of 362 re-enlistments during this rotation. He said the goal was obtainable because of the hard work of the battalion representatives. He also adds that the mission comes first, but making sure the Soldier gets what is desired is important.

"A mission is a mission, however, coupled with my mission is the ability to allow a Soldier to move to a new location, receive training, and or a selective re-enlistment bonus," said Rucks. "Our goal is to get the option the individual Soldier desires while still meeting the manning requirements of our Army."

"You need to know the qualities that the U.S. military needs to sustain its "world's greatest military" status," said Brubaker. "Whether at home station or at deployed locations, each re-enlistment should be valued, treated as special and not taken for granted."

• Date Taken: 06.20.2006
• Date Posted: 06.20.2006 10:03
• Story ID: 6866
• Location: IQ