By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq - The 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division marked its 700th re-enlistment during their current Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation, July Fourth, with the re-enlistment of Spc. Jason Fuduloff, a unit supply specialist from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.
Fuduloff, a native of Dayton, Ohio, joined the Army in 2000 and went to basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. The supply specialist has served a previous 15-month tour in Korea with the 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment as well as tours of duty at Fort Leonardwood, Mo., Fort Lee, Va., and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.
His latest re-enlistment was for four years and he received a $13,000 cash bonus.
"I always knew that I would be a career Soldier and re-enlisting on the Fourth of July has made this a very special day for me," said Fuduloff, who explained the reasons for his deciding to raise his right hand for a third time. "Being in a combat zone has been meaningful too, it's an honor being here and being able to show my support and dedication to the cause."
With seven years active duty under his belt, Fuduloff hopes to eventually retire from the Army after a 20-year career and to attain the rank of first sergeant or sergeant major.
While in the Army, Fuduloff plans on continuing his education and pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice.
For now, Fuduloff is spending his first deployment to Iraq ordering supplies for his unit and stocking the unit supply room, ensuring that Soldiers in his unit have the tools they need to do their day to day jobs.
"I love my job," said Fuduloff. "I like being there for the Soldiers to help them in accomplishing their missions."
Army 1st Lt. Bill Negron, Fuduloff's platoon leader, praised his Soldier's decision to re-enlist and his performance for the nearly eight months that the unit has been deployed.
"This is truly a testament to him and my hat goes off to him and anyone of you other guys who decide to re-enlist out here," said Negron during Fuduloff's re-enlistment ceremony. "He takes personal pride in everything that he does. He's an excellent Soldier whose work ethic is second to none. He puts a 100 percent effort into everything that he does."
When he returns home from this deployment, Fuduloff plans on using some of his re-enlistment bonus as a down payment on a car while investing the rest. School, he says, will also be another of his top priorities.
"When I come back to the states, I plan on getting all the education that I can to make a good future for myself," he said.
As of Fuduloff's re-enlistment, the Ironhorse Brigade has handed out more than $7 million in cash bonuses to re-enlisting troopers.
Sgt. 1st Class Humberto Flores, 1st BCT senior career counselor and a native of Laredo, Texas, explained what the milestone of having reached 700 re-enlistments means to the Ironhorse Brigade and why the brigade has been successful when it comes to retention.
"This has been a monumental achievement for the brigade and it speaks volumes about the Soldiers who are out here making sacrifices for their country. It's good to know that these Soldiers are willing to stand up, defend their nation and pay the cost for freedom," said Flores. "It's all about the leadership who are out here taking care of the Soldiers everyday and Soldiers trusting in their leadership in everything they do and believing in them."
| Date Taken: |
07.09.2007 |
| Date Posted: |
07.09.2007 08:54 |
| Story ID: |
11172 |
| Location: |
TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: |
163 |
| Downloads: |
126 |
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This work, Ironhorse Brigade reaches big 700th Re-enlistment, by SFC Jon Cupp, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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