Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | Opelika, Ala., native Staff Sgt. Charlotte Harris, a light wheel mechanic and platoon...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins
1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – All she was doing was securing a better future for her son and continuing her career in the U.S. Army. Staff Sgt. Charlotte Harris didn't know that she was part of a larger, growing number.
The Opelika, Ala., native, a light wheel mechanic and platoon sergeant for Company E, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, just reenlisted and became the 200th Soldier to do so since the deployment began for 1st ACB. She and the 199 other 1st ACB Soldiers have racked up more than $2.1 million in bonuses.
Harris, a career Soldier who joined the Army right out of high school, is already looking to progress further in her field by becoming a warrant officer.
"I would like to go warrant. That is the goal I am shooting for right now. Hopefully towards the summer time I will put in my packet," said Harris.
She is also looking to make sergeant first class sometime this month.
"I enjoy the Army. I like dealing with different people. There's always a different challenge you have to rise up to," said Harris.
This is Harris's third reenlistment, and it brings her to an indefinite status. This reenlistment will carry her through her retirement date, said Charleston, S.C., native Sgt. 1st Class Melissa McNorton, the brigade senior career counselor.
Seeing the 1st ACB hit its 200th reenlistment is great, but having it be a Soldier that is making a career out of the Army makes it even more special to McNorton.
"It speaks well of the command, it speaks well of the Soldiers in the 1st Cav because a lot of people don't make that final commitment," said McNorton.
Already ahead of schedule for this fiscal year, McNorton and her team of career counselors are winning awards and getting recognized.
"We haven't had the award presented yet, but yes, we won top brigade in the division for the first quarter," she said.
Although 1st ACB is leading the division in reenlistments and have doled out a total of $2,186,287 in reenlistment bonuses; they have no intentions of slowing down, said McNorton.
"We aren't going to relax until mission is made and then some," she said.
The 1st Air Cavalry Brigade is looking to take top honors for the second quarter as well, but because of the seemingly obvious future deployments, it will be more difficult to keep Soldiers serving, said McNorton.
"It is affecting us because a lot of Soldiers want the stability, they want the down time with the family members, but I think if a lot of them 'Stay Cav,' at least they'll know exactly how long they will be stabilized for; they'll know when the next rotation is coming up," said the brigade career counselor.
Moving to another unit upon returning to the states could mean deploying back to Iraq in less than three months. Knowing the rotation schedule is a benefit to staying Cav, she said.
Also, a shake up in some aviation military occupational specialties is affecting 1st ACB's reenlistment, if ever so slightly, said McNorton.
"Some of the aviation MOS's are over-strength, so that is stopping a lot of people from being offered the option of [permanent change of station]. Once that's fixed, we'll be a lot better off in the Air Cav Brigade," she said.
Adversity aside, McNorton is optimistic about the future for 1st ACB reenlistment.
"The future is bright [for 1st ACB reenlistment]," she said.
| Date Taken: | 02.16.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2007 10:37 |
| Story ID: | 9160 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 275 |
| Downloads: | 239 |
This work, 200th ACB Soldier reenlists; bonuses exceed $2 million, by SGM Nathan Hoskins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT