Spc. Erin Robicheaux
256th Brigade Combat Team PAO
CAMP TIGERLAND, Iraq " "One of the great things about being a general, is that you envision (something) and good people make it happenâ?¦and this is just the way I envisioned it."
Brig. Gen. John Basilica Jr., from Baton Rouge, La., commander of the 256th Brigade Combat Team, expressed his gratitude and an overwhelming sense of pride in his Soldiers Aug. 21 in Baghdad.
He honored the Soldiers, leaders, and staff who made the previous 18 months of mobilization and deployment a success. Battalion and company leadership, as well as brigade staff, filed into the ceremony to the tune of Louisiana State University's fight song, significant to the lineage of the brigade. The LSU Tigers" name originally comes from the Washington Artillery, which later evolved into 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery of the 256th BCT.
Each leader signed a book about the history of the 156th Infantry Regiment, or "Lee's Fighting Tigers," as well as three 256th BCT flags. Basilica greeted each leader with his personal expressions of thanks and presented each with his coin of excellence.
He recognized units attached to the Louisiana brigade, including 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment from New York; B Company, 134th Signal Battalion out of Minnesota; B Company, 126th Field Artillery from Wisconsin, attached to 1/141st FA for the duration of the deployment; 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment from California; and 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment from Illinois.
Lt. Col. Geoffrey Slack, commander of 1/69th Inf. Bn., said he felt honored and humbled to receive a plaque from the leader of the Tiger Brigade. He said it was the battalions working in sync which made the deployment as successful as it turned out.
Slack thanked the 1088th Engineer Battalion for helping his Soldiers with the Route Irish reconstruction and force protection project, as well as the 199th Forward Support Battalion for their diligent efforts to keep the supply lines moving.
He reflected on the Louisiana Soldiers who perished under his command, as well.
"Guys from Louisiana died on my watch," he said. "There is no such thing anymore as the 69th without the Tiger Brigade, and I'm deeply honored to have served under your command," he told Basilica.
The 256th commander also recognized outstanding Soldiers whose efforts kept aspects of the deployment running smoothly. Soldiers in food service and communications, as well as the Soldier and Non-commissioned Officer of the Year were singled out for their contributions to the Tiger Brigade.
Lt. Col. Jim Blackburn, commander of 1/11th ACR, said the 256th was 'truly a family affair, and we've managed to marry up." He thanked Basilica, as well as all leaders and staff, for welcoming him and his Soldiers with outstretched arms and giving them a place in the Tiger Brigade family.
Basilica told his commanders, sergeants majors, and first sergeants, who led the troops in and out of battle in one of the most hostile and dangerous corners of Baghdad, "We have 200 strong leadersâ?¦this is what it takes to run the best brigade in the Army."