'Silver Lions' ready to run

Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Mott | From right, Pfc. Jarod Daly, a Humvee driver from Sandpoint, Idaho, and Pfc. James Ramsey, a rifleman from Shawsville, Va., and Ricky Day, a gunner from Chase, Kan., from Company A, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, load part of the basic issue items into their Humvee Dec. 28 at Camp Taji, Iraq. These 20-year old Soldiers are on their first tour in Iraq and will begin operations around Baghdad in the near future.  

TAJI, IRAQ

12.31.2007

Story by Sgt. Zachary Mott 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

By Sgt. Zach Mott
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office

CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- Silver Lions from the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, continue to prep their vehicles and personnel for operations in Iraq, Dec. 29.

The battalion is part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, began deploying from Fort Carson, Colo., in November to this river valley region of Iraq northwest of Baghdad.

This is the third Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment for the 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. The first rotation, during OIF I, was from March 2003 to March 2004, the brigade's second deployment to the region was from Nov., 2005, to Nov., 2006.

Staff Sgt. Karl Christian, a squad leader from Company A, 1st CAB, 68th AR, is on his third deployment to Iraq with the 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., and says he's looking forward to beginning operations.

"We're ready," the Richmond, Calif., native said. "We've been training. All year we've been training, training, training; going to ranges, shoot houses, (close-quarters marksmanship) type stuff. We're past the crawl, walk state; it's time to run."

To prepare for the missions ahead, Christian, as well as other members of the 'Silver Lion' battalion, are ensuring their vehicles are properly loaded with the necessary equipment, each Soldier's gear is functioning and that everyone knows the mission ahead.

Christian is an example of the experience that exists within the Striker Brigade, where more than 70 percent have deployed at least once before in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. However there are others, including those Christian must now lead, that are experiencing Iraq and combat for the first time.

Many of these first-timers watched the initial invasion of Iraq – of which the 3rd BCT was part -- on television and have heard countless stories about what life is like here.

Pfc. Christopher Reynolds, a team leader with Company 1, 1st CAB 68th Armor Reg., has been with the 'Silver Lions' since shortly after the battalion returned from Iraq in Nov., 2006. In that time he has been able to lean heavily on the experienced Soldiers and non-commissioned officers of his company to prepare to come to Iraq.

"We've prepared, we've trained. We trained the whole year for this moment right here," the 20-year old Jacksonville, Fla., native said.

• Date Taken: 12.31.2007
• Date Posted: 12.31.2007 16:26
• Story ID: 15109
• Location: TAJI, IQ