VOLUME 50, NUMBER 2

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly Speaks Out on Change, Part II

A Campaign for Cultural Change

Continuing a Legacy of Honor: A Profile of the 81st RRC

THE YEAR OF THE ARMY RESERVE LEADER

SUPPORT

OUR TROOPS
LT. GEN. JAMES R. HELMLY

SPEAKS OUT ON CHANGE,

PART II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2004 — THE YEAR OF THE ARMY

RESERVE LEADER: A CAMPAIGN

FOR CULTURAL CHANGE . . . . . . . 12

UPDATE ON OPERATION IRAQI

FREEDOM

1st ID Detachment Provides 

Force Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

243rd Quartermaster Battalion 

Manages the Largest Coalition 

Camp in Northern Kuwait . . . . . . . . . . 18

353rd Engineer Group Brings 

Civilian-Acquired Skills to 

Developing Iraq’s Infrastructure . . . . . 19

Company A, 411th Engineer 

Battalion Improves Camp War Eagle . . 21

Company C, 411th Engineer 

Battalion Gets the Job Done . . . . . . . . 22

416th Civil Affairs Battalion 

Works to Improve Infrastructure 

in Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

451st Civil Affairs Battalion Helps

Preserve Archeological Sites . . . . . . . . 26

478th Combat Engineer Battalion

Receives Presidential Citation . . . . . . . 27

478th Civil Affairs Battalion 

Soldier Manages Vendors 

with Kindness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

785th Combat Stress Company 

Helps Combat the Stress 

of Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

810th Military Police Company

Conducts Convoy Security 

Operations into Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

874th Movement Regulating

Detachment Gets Essential 

Supplies to Coalition Forces. . . . . . . . . 33

CONTINUING A LEGACY 

OF HONOR: A PROFILE OF THE

81ST REGIONAL READINESS

COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

History of the 81st Regional 

Readiness Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 3

Volume 50, Number 2

SUBMISSIONS • Army Reserve Magazine invites articles, story ideas, photographs and other material of interest to members

of the U.S. Army Reserve. Manuscripts and other correspondence for the editor should be addressed to Commander, U.S. Army

Reserve Command, Attn: Public Affairs (ARM), 1401 Deshler Street, SW, Fort McPherson, GA 30330-2000, telephone 404-464-

8500 or dsn 367-8500. All email submissions should go to usarmag@usarc-emh2.army.mil. All articles must be submitted

electronically or on disk or CD. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not be returned. Query by letter.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS • Do not write the magazine. TPU soldiers should notify their Unit Administrator or Unit Clerk. Members

of the IRR and IMA should contact their Personnel Management Team at ARPERSCOM, 1 Reserve Way, St. Louis, MO 63132-

5200. AGRs should contact their PMO/PMNCO. Paid subscribers should forward their address change to the Superintendent of

Documents, Attn: Mail List Branch SSOM, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Special military distribution recipients may write the editor directly.

SUBSCRIPTIONS • Army Reserve Magazine is distributed free of charge to members of the United States Army Reserve.

Circulation is approximately 450,000. Paid subscriptions are available for $14.00 per year domestic, $19.60 foreign. Single

copy price is $5.50 domestic, $7.70 foreign. Mail a personal check or money order payable to the Superintendent of Documents

to: New Orders, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or fax your order to 202-512-2233.

Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Army Reserve Magazine online:

www.army.mil/usar

THE ARMY RESERVE 

HONORS A FORMER 

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. . . . . . . . 38

PEOPLE

Still Serving at 68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Spc. Ron Bucca Visits 

Camp Bucca, Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Master Sergeant Pulls Guard 

Duty Again — 35 Years Later . . . . . . . 41

Unexpected Reunion in Kuwait 

Gives Army Reserve Soldier an

“Earful” of Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Iraqi Juveniles Learn Prose from 

an Army Reserve Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Postal Unit Soldier Awarded 

Bronze Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

INSIDE BACK COVER SPREAD

We Will Never Forget . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

2 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

ON THE COVER

An Army Reserve Soldier from the

810th Military Police Company from

Tampa, Fla., is silhouetted against the

morning sky as Soldiers prepare

weapons systems for a convoy operation

into Iraq. (PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON,

PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY

RESERVE COMMAND)

Also on the cover: The yellow

ribbon symbolizes our commitment to honoring those of our

Army Reserve brethren who have fallen,

those who are missing, and those who

are serving around the globe. It will

appear on each issue until they all

come home.

NEWS

Centralized Board Eases 

Promotion Woes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ARIOC Soldiers Participate in

Information Assurance Training . . . . . . 4

The Army’s Deployment 

Excellence Award Program . . . . . . . . . . 5

New Army Combat 

Uniform to Debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Principles of War Essay Contest . . . . . . 6

Show Your Support 

for our Troops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Your Pay While You Are Away . . . . . . . 7

BACK COVER

Maj. Danny Hassig, an Army Reserve

Soldier with the 478th Civil Affairs

Battalion, distributes toys to children at

the Baghdad Deaf Mute Institute. 

(PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS

ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND)

★

Army Reserve Magazine

is an authorized Department of

the Army publication, published

quarterly by the Chief, U.S. Army

Reserve, ATTN: DAAR-ZXP, 2400

Army Pentagon, Washington, DC

20310-2400 in accordance with

Section 10210, Title 10, USC. 

The Secretary of Defense has

determined that the publication

of this periodical is necessary 

in the transaction of public 

business as required by law. 

Use of funds for printing this

publication was approved 

by the Secretary of the Army 

on September 2, 1986, 

IAW provisions of AR 25–30. 

Opinions expressed herein 

do not necessarily reflect those 

of the Department of the Army 

or the Chief, Army Reserve, nor

should they be construed as official policy or directive in nature.

Local reproduction of all 

materials is approved, except for

copyrighted articles or photos.

MAGAZINE

ARMY RESERVE

Since 1954.

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly

CHIEF, ARMY RESERVE

Command Sgt. Maj. Michele Jones

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE 

ARMY RESERVE

Col. Geoff Jones

DIRECTOR, U.S. ARMY RESERVE

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Editorial Services

MANNING, SELVAGE & LEE

Design Services

THE MADISON DESIGN GROUP

10 25 38
NEWS

In order to be able to counter any developing global threat, it became clear early

in 2003 that an ambitious program

would have to be developed very

quickly to train ARIOC Soldiers in

information assurance techniques. With

U.S. Senator Rick Santorum’s (R-PA)

support, $1.5 million in federal funds

was secured to establish a partnership

between Carnegie Mellon University’s

Software Engineering Institute (SEI),

located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and

the ARIOC to meet the Army’s need for

a force trained in network security. 

The SEI has developed several initiatives to help improve the quality of

industrially developed software, as well

as to ensure the integrity of information

systems. Its program consists of four 

separate training activities: 1) a Basic

Course in network technology; 2) an

Advanced Course, which provides a

hands-on laboratory in network

redesign; 3) a virtual network auditing

(VNA) activity to allow the IOCs to use

virtual private network encryption technology to conduct remote vulnerability

assessments and information security

audits of simulated Army production

networks; and 4) an information assurance exercise (IAX), in which all of the

technologies taught can be tested in as

close to a hostile cyber battlefield as can

be created. 

The SEI has developed

several initiatives to help

improve the quality of industrially developed software, as

well as to ensure the integrity

of information systems.

The IAX is implemented as a simulation

in which the IOCs build computer networks to support a deployed force and

then must defend those networks against

a Red Team — a group of ARIOC

“aggressors” assigned the task of attempting to penetrate the networked systems.

The first two activities already have

taken place. One feature of the training

was that it was taught in a “train-thetrainer” context to prepare the

participants to present the same training

to others back at their home units. The

individual IOCs now are engaged in

implementing such follow-on course

offerings locally using the SEI-trained

Soldiers as primary instructors. At the

same time, the SEI is developing the

VNA and IAX training activities, scheduled for deployment in late 2004.

As the Army moves into the next millennium, cyber terror may figure more

prominently in deciding the outcome of

the nation’s wars. The successful implementation of this cooperative training

program will ensure that the Army is

equipped to defeat this new kind of

enemy.

THE ARMY’S DEPLOYMENT

EXCELLENCE AWARD PROGRAM

The Army’s Deployment Excellence

Award (DEA) program annually recognizes Active Army, National Guard and

Army Reserve units and installations for

outstanding deployments and deployment support accomplishments. It is

open to any unit or installation that 

has deployed or supported a training or 

contingency deployment during the

competition year (December 1 through

November 30). Units and installations

are encouraged to participate in one 

of five categories: large unit (battalion

and above); small unit (company and

below); supporting unit; installation;

and operational deployment. 

For all categories except operational

deployment, eligible units and installations submit self-nomination packets 

to their major commands (MACOMs).

MACOMs then forward their top unit

packets to an Army-level evaluation

board that determines semifinalists. 

A team of deployment specialists visits

selected units, validates unit deployment practices, and determines the 

best unit in each DEA category.

The operational deployment category 

is open to all units that deploy on operational deployment missions (war on

terrorism, peacekeeping rotations,

humanitarian missions, etc.). Two units

are recognized annually — one large

unit (battalion or above) and one small

unit (company or below). MACOMs

nominate units, and a deployment

observation team from the Deployment

Process Modernization Office observes

and scores the deployment.

The 2005 DEA competition is 

open to all units and installations.

Significant dates for the 2005 

competition are:

DEA COMPETITION PERIOD:

December 1, 2003–November 30, 2004

MACOM NOMINATION PACKETS DUE:

January 31, 2005

DEA BOARD CONVENES:

February 14–25, 2005

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED:

March 11, 2005

DEA VALIDATION TEAMS VISIT:

March 15–April 15, 2005

WINNERS ANNOUNCED:

April 22, 2005

DEA AWARDS CEREMONY:

June 4, 2005

For additional information, contact the

DEA Program Manager, Mr. Henry

Johnson, Building 705, Room 221, Fort

Eustis, Virginia, 23604, DSN 826-1833 

(commercial 757-878-1833).

Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 5

CENTRALIZED BOARD EASES

PROMOTION WOES

Most noncommissioned officers and

commanders will be expected to

answer questions about enlisted

promotions at one time or another

during their careers. However, given 

the myriad of guidance and references

covering promotions, the answers may

not always be easy to find. Now, a 

centralized promotion board has been

established to streamline the process.

Under the watchful eyes of Lt. Gen.

James R. Helmly, Chief of the U.S.

Army Reserve, Theater Adjutant

General Command Sgt. Major Steve

Longwill has developed a centralized

Enlistment Promotion Directorate

(EPD) for deployed Army Reserve

Soldiers. According to Longwill, it has

the potential to be the most efficient

and effective means of promoting

Soldiers in theater.

“Soldiers who have been deployed into a

theater of war are among the best qualified to be our future leaders,” he said.

“This centralized directorate will look

out for the welfare and morale of

Soldiers, as well as provide an opportunity to enhance the readiness posture of

the Army Reserve.”

The EPD specifically targets promotable

Army Reserve specialists and sergeants

in the Operation Iraqi Freedom and

Operating Enduring Freedom theaters

of operation. While promotion qualification requirements have not changed, 

the advent of the new directorate has

simplified considerably the “how to”

mechanism.

Before the EPD, promotions often were

lost in the shuffle of multiple guidance

that differed according to individual

unit or Regional Readiness Command

(RRC) policy. Some promotion boards

were held in theater and some at the

RRC level, while other promotions were

overlooked altogether.

Now, all records to be considered for

promotion will be supervised and submitted by the Theater Adjutant General

Command Sgt. Major at Camp Arifjan,

Kuwait, to the EPD. The directorate

will receive and review packets, correct

and/or return packets, board packets, and

update promotion lists as appropriate.

According to Sgt. 1st Class Carol

Medina, noncommissioned officer in

charge of the EPD, the aim is to make

the EPD into a “one-stop shop” for promotions of effected Soldiers in theater.

All packets must be received no later

than the last day of the month to be

considered for the next month’s board.

“We want to make promotions as easy as possible for

deployed Soldiers without

compromising standards.”

“We want to make promotions as easy as

possible for deployed Soldiers without

compromising standards,” said Medina.

“The goal is to evaluate packets for

completeness, fix whatever can be fixed

by requesting documents from the supporting units, and board packets in a

timely fashion. Deficient promotion

packets will be held for one board past

the original submission date. If we can’t

fix the problem during that time, the

packet will be returned to the supporting unit.”

With more than 37,000 Army Reserve

Soldiers in theater — more Soldiers

than in any one RRC in the United

States — the impact of the EPD is 

far-reaching. But what does it really

mean for individual Soldiers or unit

commanders?

A consolidated board in theater means

deployed Soldiers and senior leaders

have a nearby reference for promotion

guidance. In addition, with the EPD

tasked to evaluate, correct and board

packets, field commanders are relieved 

A consolidated board in 

theater means deployed

Soldiers and senior leaders

have a nearby reference for

promotion guidance.

of the administrative paperwork associated with promotions. Senior leaders

and administrative specialists still will

be responsible for verifying eligibility

and helping Soldiers put their promotion packets together, but the burden of

validating those packets now will be

absorbed by the EPD.

ARIOC SOLDIERS PARTICIPATE

IN INFORMATION ASSURANCE

TRAINING

In future conflicts, winning the battle in

cyberspace could become as important

as winning the war on land, sea and in

the air. Potential enemies know that, if

they can disable a military force’s networks, they could seriously degrade that

force’s war fighting capability.

Soldiers in the Army’s five regional

Information Operations Centers (IOCs),

which are staffed entirely by Army

Reserve Soldiers and represent “units 

of action” of the Army Reserve

Information Operations Command

(ARIOC), are responsible for maintaining an information assurance capability

for the entire Army. They work in cooperation with other Army organizations,

such as the network of Regional

Computer Emergency Response Teams

(RCERTs) that span the globe. Their

role includes detecting, evaluating and

ultimately neutralizing cyber threats

that could affect the mission of the

Army and its supported agencies, such

as the National Security Agency and

Joint Reserve Intelligence Program.

4 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

NEWS

News Briefs
NEWS

PRINCIPLES OF WAR 

ESSAY CONTEST

As the nation faces new conflicts and

forms of warfare, many groups are

beginning to examine whether or not

the principles of war have changed. The

belief is that rethinking the principles of

war might help military leaders better

understand the relationship of war to

this nation’s future, as well as its past.

To facilitate this effort, the U.S. Naval

Institute, Johns Hopkins University

and the Royal Uniformed Services

Institute, working in partnership with

the National Defense University, Army

War College, Air War College, Naval

War College, the Office of Force

Transformation, and the Department of

Defense, are sponsoring a national essay

contest. The contest is being conducted

from June 2004 through February 1,

2005, and solicits articles on potential

changes to the traditional principles of

war. Additional details on the contest

are provided below and also can be

found at http://www.usni.org/contests/

contests.html.

Principles of War Essay Contest

First Prize: $15,000

Second Prize: $10,000

Third Prize: $5,000

5 Honorable Mentions: $1,000

Open to: All interested individuals

Deadline: February 1, 2005

Topic: Leaders at the highest levels now

speak of a new kind of war. This development should spark a debate: Have the

principles of war changed? How are they

changing? Or do they remain valid?

Maximum length: 3,500 words

Direct entries to:

principlesessay@navalinstitute.org or

submit by mail following the essay contest

guidelines provided at http://www.usni.org/

contests/contests.html

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT 

FOR OUR TROOPS

Since September 11, 2001, more than

385,000 National Guard and Army

Reserve Soldiers have been called to

active military service. This would not

have been possible without the strong

support of both employers and family

members.

Currently, a series of large banners 

are traveling the countryside with the

ESGR’s (Employer Support for the

Guard and Reserve’s) show car program.

The goal is to gather 1.2 million signatures from across hometown America —

one signature for every member of the

Guard and Reserve.

The goal is to gather 1.2

million signatures from across

hometown America — one

signature for every member

of the Guard and Reserve.

Interested parties are encouraged to

show their support by logging onto the

ESGR Web site at http://www.esgr.com

to sign the banner electronically. By

simply clicking on “America’s Car” and

signing the banner, your name will be

added to the register of thousands of

other patriotic Americans who have 

given their support for U.S. deployed

troops overseas.

The banners will be sent to Southwest

Asia to be placed in the dining facilities

and recreational centers in Iraq and

Afghanistan for all the troops to see.

For further information, call Lt. Bill

DuPont, Chief Public Affairs Officer

for the ESGR, at 1-800-336-4590 

extension 540. 

6 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

NEWS

Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 7

NEW ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM TO DEBUT

The new Army Combat Uniform (ACU) was 

presented to senior Army leadership in

December 2003, for potential Army fielding. 

In April 2004, after review by the Chief of

Staff of the Army (CSA), the Program

Executive Office (PEO) was directed to begin

fielding the uniform to deploying units by

April 2005, and to complete fielding to the

entire Army by December 2007.

The ACU is being produced in a new Universal

Camouflage “pixilated” scheme similar to the

U.S. Marine Corps pattern. It has been designed

for functionality and ergonomics, and to

enhance Soldiers’ performance and safety.

The new ACU is the culmination of many months

of research and development, and is the uniform

of choice by the overwhelming majority of the

Army’s leaders and Soldiers. Developed with direct and continuous input from Army Soldiers, the new

ACU has been embraced by the Army’s rank and file. The uniform will replace multiple versions of the

current woodland and desert pattern battle dress uniforms (the Temperate/Hot Weather Battle Dress

Uniforms and the Desert Camouflage Uniform) and will be easy to maintain, thereby decreasing 

out-of-pocket costs to Soldiers.

All Soldiers in the Active and Reserve Components, regardless of unit or function, will be issued the new

uniform by December 2007. The ACU consists of trousers, a coat and a patrol cap. The cost of the ACU coat

and trousers will be approximately $44.00 each, while the cap is expected to cost approximately $5.00.

Given the anticipated increase in uniform cost, the Deputy Chief of Staff G4 is working with the Program

Manager Soldier Equipment, the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G1, and the Army Budget Office to

determine if there will be an increase to the fiscal year 2006 Clothing Replacement Allowance for the ACU.

The basis of issue for the ACU will be the same as for the BDU. Four ACUs will be issued to new

Soldiers in Initial Entry Training. The basis of issue for military schools also will remain at four. Made

with the same nylon/cotton rip-stop fabric as the current Enhanced Hot Weather BDU, the new ACU

has an estimated wear-life of six months.

Deploying enlisted Soldiers and officers will be issued ACUs at the Army’s expense as an organizational

issued item. Enlisted Soldiers (Active Army Clothing Bag), U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers and National Guard

Soldiers will receive an initial issue of four ACUs. Already Active Army enlisted Soldiers receive a Clothing

Replacement Allowance with which to buy replacement uniforms. Officers will buy the ACU at their own

expense from the Army Military Clothing Sales Stores.

Some items (patrol cap, tan boots and T-shirts) are expected to be introduced concurrently with the new

ACU. Other Army woodland and desert pattern items will be evaluated to determine an appropriate single

color or pattern. Specific timelines have yet to be determined.

Residual stocks of BDUs will be sold or issued until exhausted and their wear-out date will be established

based upon when stocks are exhausted. The wear-out date will provide an adequate amount of time for

Soldiers to procure the ACU. Production ramp-up of the new ACU will cause production of the BDU to end

in early fiscal year 2006.

For more information, visit the PEO Soldier Web site (https://peosoldier.army.mil) or contact Maj. Gary

Tallman, OCPA/MRD, 703-697-4314, or Debi Dawson, PEO Soldier, 703-704-2802.

Listed below are the general provisions for additional pay,

allowances and programs you and your family, if applicable, may receive while you are mobilized to support a

contingency operation. Your unit administrator and the

finance team at the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office

(USPFO), Reserve Component Pay Support Office

(RCPSO), or deployed location will ensure you receive

these entitlements in a timely and accurate fashion.

★ Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). The rates vary according to

categories such as grade, marital status, family member status, child support

obligation, and home of residence (zip code). Ensure you have your current

marriage certificate, court-ordered support payment agreement or

mortgage/lease/rental (monthly dollar amount stated) documentation. Will

reflect as BAH on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).

★ Family Separation Allowance —II (FSA). This allowance is for

Soldiers who have family members and it begins after they have been involuntarily separated from them for more than 30 consecutive days. The

payment starts the day of departure from the home station and stops the day

before returning to the home station. The monthly rate is $250.00, prorated

for earned portions of a month. Will reflect as FSA on your LES.

★ Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay (HF/IDP). Commonly

referred to as “combat pay,” this is payable upon your arrival at and departure

from a designated location. The monthly rate is $225.00 and is paid for the

entire month regardless of the number of days you spend in the area. Will

reflect as HF/IDP on your LES.

★ Hardship Duty Pay— Location (HDP-L). Depending upon the

designated deployed location, you may receive $50.00, $100.00 or $150.00

a month. Qualification for this pay starts 30 days after arrival at the particular

area, which is payable from the day of arrival, and stops the day of departure.

The amount is prorated for earned portions of a month. Will reflect as “Other

Credits” on your LES.

★ Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE). This is a monetary benefit

for designated zones. All enlisted Soldiers’ and Warrant Officers’ basic pay

plus HF/IDP are tax exempt each month from federal and state tax. For commissioned officers, only the first $6,315.90 is tax-exempt. This maximum

monthly dollar amount is derived from the Sergeant Major of the Army’s

(SMA’s) basic pay plus the HF/IDP amount. The exemption starts the day you

arrive at and depart from the zone, and remains effective for the entire month

regardless of the number of days you spend at that location.

★ Travel Per Diem. Generally, government-furnished mess and lodging

will be available. Therefore, the daily rate you will receive for incidental

expenses is $3.50 for overseas locations and $3.00 for stateside locations.

You will submit the final travel settlement voucher upon return to your home

station. If you are stationed where government lodging and/or meals are not

available, you will be able to submit monthly travel claims. All travel claims

for mobilized Soldiers supporting contingency operations are paid by a central

travel office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Detailed information for submitting claims

or inquiries is available by calling 1-888-332-7366 or DSN 699-0300.

★ Accrued Leave. You will earn 2.5 days a month (or .5 days every 6

days). If you are in a CZTE area, these accrued leave days are non-taxable

provided you have not reached the monthly $6,315.90 ceiling. Effective

October 1, 2003, the Reserve pay system tracks the days you accrue and

take leave. You have the personal responsibility to ensure leave accuracy

while mobilized. The demobilization station will compute your accrued leave

payment/transition leave days prior to your release from active duty.

YOUR PAY WHILE YOU ARE AWAY

The new Army Combat Uniform.
Our intent is to embed 

AGR Soldiers inside 

units in leader positions

because that will give us 

more flexibility to 

grow them into 

competent leaders.

8 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 9

Army Reserve Magazine (ARM): You’re on record as saying that you are looking to grow the

AGR force — get more full-time people in. How is recruiting going for the AGR force?

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly (Helmly): Yes, we are on target. We have a ramp of about 300 AGR

increases every year, and we’re set to meet that. We’ve got some challenges facing us in

2006, but we’re working on those today. The major thing is that we also are changing

the management of AGRs.

We’re going to put more AGR authorizations down in units, and I currently have staff

working on the formulas. Our intent is to embed AGR Soldiers inside units in leader

positions because that will give us more flexibility to grow them into competent

leaders. 

We also plan to have them serve more frequently alongside active duty Soldiers so that,

as they come into our units and formations, they will bring with them a currency of

competence, tactics, techniques, and procedures regarding how we do business in

Active Component units. So, we’re stripping out the number of AGR spaces that will

be in overhead and, in fact, I am doing some work as well to strip out AGRs on some

higher level staffs, replacing them with civilians.

ARM: Are you getting any resistance to the idea of getting AGRs out in the field?

Helmly: You get resistance primarily because people are uncomfortable with change.

Frequently, I am asked whether, now that I’ve been in my position just about two years,

I feel comfortable with my job. I tell them I don’t have a job. I have a responsibility,

and the one thing I’ve grown comfortable with is knowing that I am going to be terribly uncomfortable. If leaders are comfortable, they probably aren’t doing their jobs.

ARM: I know you talk to Soldiers on a regular basis and that you probably have the best

ability to put your finger on the pulse of how the Soldiers feel. What sort of effect do

you think the issue of extensions is having on them? Is that something they are going

to be able to overcome?

Helmly: There is a quote I particularly like. It says, “You are nothing unless it comes

from the heart — passion, caring, really looking to create excellence. If you perform

functions only, and go to work only to do processes, then you are effectively retired.

And it scares me. Most people by age 28 are retired.” The author of that quote is John

Maxwell, the author of several books on leadership and management.

Most often, what I find is that we all need to think about the words we are using. I’ve

had captains tell me [extensions] are “devastating.” Let me tell you what devastating

is. Devastating is losing 36 American Soldiers out of a one hundred-man rifle

company. Devastating is having your company overrun. I’ve seen devastating. I’ve

been to devastating. Being extended is not devastating.

What we’ve allowed to happen as leaders is that we’ve not led our Soldiers. We’ve not

talked straight with them. We’ve not said, “This is the Army Reserve. We’re here for

one purpose. We exist to be called to active duty.”

So, here’s the real, cold, hard fact. We’ve changed our recruiting ads to focus on service,

sacrifice and the realities of being a Soldier in the United States Army. Further, there

is no secure rear area any more.

For years, Army Reserve training guidance looked like something out of an

American corporation that laid out guidance for managing the “work force.” Well,

we don’t have a work force. What we’ve got is an organization of American Soldiers

in the United States Army Reserve. And, while we may have allowed Soldiers and

their families to believe that they would be mobilized only by exception, the reality

is there is no exception. We have mobilized for every war this nation has fought.

What we’ve allowed to

happen as leaders 

is that we’ve not led 

our Soldiers.

PHOTO: UNKNOWN

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly

SPEAKS OUT

On Change

Part II
10 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 11

Our battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. We had one recipient of the

Congressional Medal of Honor. Three were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

We were the 187th of the 101st. And when I was with them, there was only one battalion.

Now, there are three battalions.

We were a tough unit and we were warriors. But we didn’t sit back and defend anything.

We moved at night, attacked at night, fought at night, and took heavy casualties. That

was devastating. We walked into an L-shaped ambush and lost 36 American Soldiers.

What is important here is that one of the guys I heard from — the captain who was

awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor — was a West Point graduate and served

five years. He left active duty and is now a prominent attorney in Texas. The other guy

left active duty after three years and is now an attorney in Houston, Texas. They were

both outstanding Soldiers but they decided that a career in the Army wasn’t for them.

One of the things we have not done in the past, but which I am trying to change, is

having an awards ceremony when a Soldier prepares to leave. We have got to bring true

meaning to the words, “Soldier, service and sacrifice.” We have to reinforce that at

every turn. We need to treat our Soldiers just like active duty Soldiers, showing them

respect in every way.

We also need to show them that we appreciate their service and sacrifice, and that we

are going to enforce standards that lead to their living and participating in a safer and

more secure environment. And when some of our Soldiers and leaders decide this is

not for me, we need to say, “That’s okay.” The important thing is that, when they

served, they served honorably. And, for that, we honor and respect their service.

As long as I am here, this is an institution that will be considerate and fair to its people.

We will establish and enforce a command climate of openness that is positive, that

emphasizes the value of each member of the institution — civilian, military and family

member — and that will honor people’s service. Period. 

The President told us after September 11th that we are at war.

He was telling us the truth. This is a war that is different from

other wars. The President described it perfectly. He said it

would be fought over a long period of time and often fought

below the radar, so the American people wouldn’t see and

hear everything. That’s probably why the American public

has such a hard time sometimes believing we really are at war.

However, we are at war. And I cannot lead Soldiers and

manage the force when they are led to believe that they can

only be mobilized on twelve-month orders.

The policy might say twelve months “boots on the ground,”

and we’re trying to abide by that. We know Soldiers run out of

gas when they stay too long. But I can’t guarantee it will be

exactly twelve months. Why? Because safety, security and the

mission come first.

ARM: You recently were quoted in the media saying that you are looking for volunteers

for two years’ service. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Helmly: As I’ve gone out and talked to Soldiers, I’ve found that many of them are frustrated because their mobilization orders have run out and they are being released. They

still want to serve. They think the work they are doing is really important, and they

want my help. So, I’ve said, let’s find out how many Soldiers we’ve got. Is it 100? 1,000?

50,000? And then let’s stratify them by grade, MOS and capability. Then I’m offering

the Army that I will take a unit and build provisional units out of volunteers for twoyear active duty tours or volunteer active duty.

ARM: In closing, is there anything else you would like put out there?

Helmly: I understand that the Army Reserve is not going to be for everybody. And I don’t

disrespect anybody who says so. But I’d like to keep Soldiers in the Army Reserve.

That’s going to require change. Change in leadership and change in the institution.

Yesterday, I had two wonderful phone calls with guys I served with in Vietnam as a lieutenant. My battalion from Vietnam is starting to have reunions because, as the people

are growing older, they are realizing the richness of our service and experience. 

As long as I am here, 

this is an institution 

that will be considerate and

fair to its people.

...I’m offering the Army that

I will take a unit and build

provisional units out of 

volunteers for two-year 

active duty tours or 

volunteer active duty. PHOTO: UNKNOWN

PHOTO: UNKNOWN

PHOTO: UNKNOWN
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 13

Leaders Building Leaders

The ARLCP was founded on the belief that all Army Reserve

Soldiers and civilians can be leaders. They do so by choosing

to participate in self-development that guides decisions for

institutional training and assignments that further their leadership expertise.

Army Reserve leaders make daily decisions across a lifetime of

service to enhance professional knowledge and maintain proficiency through aggressive individual and unit-structured

self-development programs. Self-development focuses on maximizing leader strengths, minimizing weaknesses, and achieving

individual leader development goals. It involves:

★A continuous process taking place during 

institutional training and education, and during 

operational assignments

★A joint effort involving commanders, supervisors, and

the Soldier and civilian

★Actions structured by the individual and the 

commander or supervisor to meet specific individual

goals and needs

Self-development starts with an assessment of individual leader

behaviors, involves feedback related to strengths and areas for

growth, and results in a continuous plan for lifelong learning

and self-improvement.

The ARLCP is the CAR’s vision and strategy to change the

leadership culture. It identifies critical elements related to

improving leader behavior. In addition, it provides the road

ahead to remove organizational barriers that get in the way of

leader development, setting conditions for Soldiers and civilians to do the right thing for the right reason and directing

cultural change in Army Reserve leadership.

The ARLCP is the CAR’s vision and strategy to

change the leadership culture.

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly appointed the Leader Education and

Development Council to work on the ARLCP during The Year

of the Leader. Civilian, noncommissioned officers, warrant officers, and officer senior leaders from OCAR, USARC, HRC,

RRCs, TSDs, and DIVITs met six times to establish the plan

and to recommend realistic operational strategies. The following summarizes the results of those meetings.

12 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

2004 — The Year of the Army Reserve Leader: 

A Campaign for

CULTURAL CHANGE

“We must address attacking the culture of the ‘weekend warrior.’

Our Soldiers must understand this new culture and say: ‘I am a

Soldier. I specialize in the performance of my civilian-based

skills. I will prepare myself for an active duty operational 

assignment as if I knew the day and hour it will come.’”

—Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, Army Reserve

T

he quality of leadership by officers, warrant 

officers, noncommissioned officers, and civilian

employees is the key to achieving lasting change

for the Army Reserve. To underscore that point, Lt.

Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, Army Reserve (CAR), 

initiated a yearlong U.S. Army Reserve Leadership Campaign Plan

(ARLCP) in early 2003. In addition, he designated 2004 as The Year of

the Leader in the Army Reserve. That action set numerous events into

motion, creating a central pathway for the transition from current to

future force in the Army Reserve.

PHOTO: UNKNOWN

PHOTO: UNKNOWN PHOTO: UNKNOWN
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 15

Non-leaders on the left-hand side of the continuum require

increased external discipline. These are individuals who have a

low level of skill competence and who have not yet internalized

organizational values. If non-leaders cannot or will not move

toward the right-hand side of the continuum, they must be

released from service.

Plans Currently Underway

There is a whole team of Army Reserve Soldiers and civilians

devoted to putting the campaign plan into action. The Year of

the Leader actions currently underway include:

★Leader Development Guides

★Company Team Leader Development Course

★Senior Leader Training Program

★Army Reserve Combat Leader Validation

★ Command Climate Assessment

★ Leadership Assessment and Development Program

★ Mentoring

★ The CAR’s Media Room

★ The 84th Army Reserve Readiness Training Command,

Leader Development Directorate 

For more information, contact Col. Sharon A. R. Stanley, 

Director of the Leadership Development Directorate (LDD),

84th Army Reserve Readiness Training Command (ARRTC),

Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, sharon.stanley1@us.army.mil. 

Leader Campaign Actions

Actions for the ARLCP fall into the following categories: 1)

Promotion and Awareness; 2) Protection; and 3) Response

(Figure 1). While it is desirable that Soldiers and civilians consistently serve on the right end of the continuum, the full spectrum

of leader and non-leader behavior is addressed in the campaign.

Individuals who choose to move and stay on the promotion and

awareness end of the leadership continuum display leader

behavior that comes from self-discipline. These leaders have an

internal drive that effectively influences others and builds organizational success.

Individuals who choose to move and stay on

the promotion and awareness end of the 

leadership continuum display behavior that

comes from self-discipline.

Individuals at the continuum’s midpoint need to move to the

right and do so via various actions (e.g., command climate

surveys, leader assessment and development program). Leaders

working with individuals at the midpoint must ensure that

training and education are readily available for protection and

compliance. However, these compliant Soldiers and civilians

also must be assisted to strengthen leadership skills through

organizational values that become internal, and competence in

professional skills.

• Disciplinary Action

• Non-Progression of Non-Leaders

• Institutional Training

• PDE Self-Dev

• Leader Dev Guides

RESPONSE

to

Soldier Resistance

PROTECTION

of

Soldier Compliance

PROMOTION &

AWARENESS

for

Soldier Identification &

Internalization

Performance Counseling

DIVEST Non-Leaders Campaign Communication E-Learning Joint Environment RETAIN Leaders

Balanced Score Card-Strategic Readiness System (SRS)

Figure 1: Leadership Campaign action continuum.

Leadership Campaign ACTION Continuum

• Leadership Assessment & 

Dev Program

• Command Climate

• Mentoring

• Innovative Training and

Education (e.g., CTLDC, 

AR-Combat Leader Validation)

PHOTO: UNKNOWN
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 17

1st ID DETACHMENT PROVIDES FORCE PROTECTION

The 1st Infantry Division Detachment (Rear Operations Center),

an Army Reserve unit based in Bamberg, Germany, deployed

with the 1st Infantry Division (ID) to Iraq just eight months after

returning from Kosovo. The Soldiers currently are on mission at

Forward Operating Base (FOB) Speicher, near Tikrit.

“We spent approximately two weeks in Kuwait at Camp New

York preparing to move into Iraq,” said Col. Mike Sinnott,

commander of the 1st ID Detachment (Rear Operations

Center). “In Kuwait, we awaited the arrival of our vehicles and

supplies, and conducted live fire and close quarter marksmanship training.”

Once in Iraq, the unit began conducting its mission to establish

and maintain the 1st ID’s Rear Command Post and to provide

expertise in rear area and base security, force protection and

terrain management.

“We are pretty fortunate that our mission here is a true Rear

Operations Center mission. We perform operations and intelligence functions,” added Sinnott. “In addition, we are proud

that we were able to hit the ground running with our Active

Component comrades, seamlessly integrating on short notice

with the 1st ID staff.”

“...we are proud that we were able to hit the

ground running with our Active Component

comrades...”

Prior to arriving in Iraq, the members of the 1st ID Detachment

(Rear Operations Center) spent eight months in Kosovo. Last

fall, they participated in a major Warfighter Exercise with the

1st ID. They believe the Warfighter Exercise

helped them prepare for the challenges they

would encounter in Iraq.

“Working with the 1st ID during Warfighter

gave us time to iron out equipment and technical challenges and to rehearse battle drills,”

said Sinnott. “By the time we conducted

annual training prior to mobilization and

through mobilization, we were able to focus

on key Soldier skills.”

During their two weeks of annual training,

the Soldiers conducted convoy live fire training. They also were required to participate in

a more complex and challenging live fire

course in Kuwait.

“Convoy live fire was the most significant training we received

considering we spent two days driving from Kuwait to Tikrit,”

added Sinnott.

The 1st ID Detachment (Rear Operations Center) is a subordinate unit of the 7th Army Reserve Command (ARCOM), the

Army’s only Reserve command totally stationed on foreign soil.

The 7th ARCOM provides U.S. Army Europe with 22 units and

nearly 1,000 Soldiers to fill highly specialized fields such as rear

operations, intelligence, personnel replacement operations, movement control, medical support, and chaplain support.

Army Reserve Soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division Detachment (Rear Operations Center)

based in Bamberg, Germany, participate in convoy live fire training prior to arriving in Iraq. 

An Army Reserve Soldier with the 1st Infantry Division Detachment (Rear Operations

Center) inspects work on a tower in the Tikrit area of Baghdad. 

16 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“We make the nation whole.”

Our nation faces new and difficult challenges across the globe and here at home. To

maintain our freedoms, our interests, and our way of life, the United States must not

only react to these changes, we must anticipate, plan and prepare for them. Much of that

responsibility falls on the men and women of the U.S. Army Reserve. 

The brave members of this agile, highly skilled force prove their patriotism every single

day, and that they are committed to serving our country — at a moment’s notice — even

during the most turbulent times. 

Today, Americans continue to fight for the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of 

happiness — not only for themselves, but for others as well. We wage war against an

enemy who seeks to deny life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to millions of

people around the world. The foe we face in Iraq and other parts of the world in the

Global War on Terrorism finds glory in suppressing liberty with terror, and killing

innocent civilians publicly and viciously. We fight for a world free of fear. Our enemy

seeks a world based on it. 

Let us never forget the importance of the cause for which we struggle. It is a fight for

freedom as much as any war in our history. 

Thousands of our fellow Army Reserve Soldiers have answered the call to active duty,

and are serving our country with the same dedication and diligence as the Minutemen

of colonial times. Many Army Reserve Soldiers have sacrificed their lives in the fight

for freedom. Hundreds of Army Reserve Soldiers are recovering from wounds sustained

in this war. Their service and sacrifice demand we uphold the legacy that they have

built with dignity and honor. 

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief, Army Reserve

Update on Operation

IRAQI FREEDOM

PHOTO: LT. COL. JON DAHMS, 7TH ARCOM PAO PHOTO: LT. COL. JON DAHMS, 7TH ARCOM PAO
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 19

353rd ENGINEER GROUP BRINGS 

CIVILIAN-ACQUIRED SKILLS TO DEVELOPING

IRAQ’S INFRASTRUCTURE

One of the greatest challenges facing Coalition forces is the

restoration of Iraq’s infrastructure. This includes renovating

the power grids, and water and sewer systems, as well as rebuilding housing and commerce. The 1,200 Soldiers assigned to the

353rd Engineer Group, an Army Reserve unit from Oklahoma

City, Oklahoma, are meeting that challenge.

“We do planning and design work for infrastructure development,” said Col. William Hagood, commander of the 353rd and

a senior vice president of a civil engineering and architectural

firm in his civilian life. “A lot of active duty engineer units are

considered combat-heavy because they are designed to breach

obstacles and provide support for forward combat arms construction. In the Army Reserve, we are more mission-oriented.”

Most of the members of the 353rd work in the construction and

engineering fields in their civilian occupations. They are surveyors, builders, designers, architects, and civil engineers. One

Army Reserve Soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Ice, has more than

15 years managing a construction company.

“We’re working with the Iraqi civilian population here,” said

Ice. “They’re the ones who really know what is wrong and how

to fix it. We’re just here to help them.”

18 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

243rd QUARTERMASTER BATTALION MANAGES

LARGEST COALITION CAMP IN NORTHERN KUWAIT

It’s somewhere in the middle of nowhere. With a horizon so far

off it’s difficult to discern. But in the vast, flat expanse of northern Kuwait, it’s a place many Soldiers call home before moving

into Iraq.

At any single time, as many as 14,000 Soldiers may be passing

through. And the camp is responsible for managing everything

those Soldiers may need en route to their ultimate mission—

ensuring freedom in Iraq.

“Everything is trucked in,” said Col. Patrick Dardis, 

commander of the 243rd Quartermaster Battalion, an Army

Reserve unit from Parsons, Kansas. “All of the water, 

fuel and food the Soldiers will need. We’re totally dependent upon the outside world to function like a city within 

the desert.”

Assigned to the 89th Regional Readiness Command, the 55

Soldiers of the 243rd act somewhat like city managers for

almost 2,000 permanent troops, who have been assigned to

this city in the sand to help facilitate the final staging and

forward movement of units into Iraq. Those 2,000 “fixed”

Ice noted that a lot of the construction work that was done

earlier was unsafe. For example, several of the Soldiers with the

353rd are fully engaged in renovation of a series of cement

housing facilities that were hurriedly constructed by the Iraqis.

They were constructed so fast, in fact, that the landfill was not

compacted properly to allow for settlement time. Subsequently,

during the rainy season, the floors began to cave in, breaking

apart all of the water systems. The Soldiers now are replacing

those systems, as well as restoring the buildings.

“Sometimes, the low bid isn’t always

the best,” added Ice. “We look closely

at all the bids to determine the best

contractor for the job. When it comes

to quality, we stick to our guns.”

Maj. Curtis Woods, another Soldier

with the 353rd, is the deputy commissioner for public works in Mount

Vernon, New York, where he oversees the city’s water, electric and

sanitation operations. In Iraq, he is

performing similar duties.

“I’m working with my Iraqi counterpart to systematically identify the

problems and develop solutions.

However, it’s going to take a while,”

said Woods. “I see much bigger problems here than I do at home. But this

experience is going to help me when

I return to my job in the States.”

Soldiers are called “tenant” units by Dardis, while all of the

other troops are considered “transient” because eventually

they will be moving on.

“While they are here, they are gathering intelligence about

their pending missions in Iraq. They conduct briefings, specialized training and rehearsals. They also finalize their load

plans before actually taking on food and ammo,” added Dardis.

“They’re very busy, so it’s my mission and the mission of 

my staff to provide and ensure that the very best support is 

provided them while they are our customers.”

“...it’s my mission and the mission of my staff

to provide and ensure that the very best

support is provided them while they are our

customers.”

Dardis is very proud of the fact that he and his Soldiers not only

are keeping the camp running at full throttle when necessary,

but also continuing to assist in upgrading existing facilities and

planning for more permanent structures.

Out of the unit’s total of 55 Soldiers, 15 were called from other

units — a process called “cross-leveling,” where Soldiers whose

skills meet the identified shortfall requirements of a unit are

drawn from other units throughout the Army Reserve.

“I was cross-leveled,” said

Sgt. 1st Class Walter Brown,

who originally was assigned

to the 5115th Garrison

Support unit in Fort Meade,

Maryland. A food service specialist, Brown is responsible

for ensuring the Soldiers are

adequately fed.

“I try my best to take care of

them. That’s my mission —

to take care of these Soldiers.

I give them the very best I

can,” added Brown.

The AAFES facility at the city in the sand in northern Kuwait is popular for long 

distance calls home. 

Army Reserve Soldiers with the 353rd Engineer Group help restore the infrastructure in Iraq.

Army Reserve Soldiers with the 353rd Engineer Group help restore the infrastructure in Iraq.

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMANDPHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 21

Lt. Col. Doug Satterfield is the chief design engineer with the

353rd. This experience has shown him a lot.

“I’m proud of the Soldiers and what they are doing,” said

Satterfield. “They will be better people, both in terms of their

professional skills, as well as in recognizing what is important

in life. And the Iraqi people will be better people too.”

“I’m proud of the Soldiers and what 

they are doing. They will be better people, 

both in terms of their professional skills, 

as well as in recognizing what is 

important in life.”

“We’re here to help the Iraqis get back on their feet, and

to supply the essential services that will enable them to

use these facilities in the future,” added Hagood. “That’s

really what we’re here for — to provide the Iraqis with the

benefit and knowledge of our experience and to give them

a fresh start.”

COMPANY A, 411th ENGINEER BATTALION

IMPROVES CAMP WAR EAGLE

There’s nothing like taking a hot shower to wash away the dust, sweat

and fatigue that accompany life out on patrol. Making these showers

available in Iraq is the job of Company A, 411th Combat Heavy

Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve unit based out of Hawaii.

“Currently, we have been assigned to build a force protection

wall and to fix the plumbing problems in the barracks,” said 1st

Lt. Kelly Heth, general construction platoon leader. “The carpenters we brought along with us also are building benches for

the showers and making other small improvements to help

improve the quality of life of our Soldiers.”

In addition to renovating the showers, the Soldiers also are

getting the opportunity to practice their skills as plumbers, carpenters and electricians, as well as to learn new trades.

According to Staff Sgt. Mel Mizukami, a squad leader with

Company A, his Soldiers currently are charged with taking the

barracks’ water tanks out of the ground and building cement

platforms to place them on.

“The problem with where the tanks are now is that they were

not placed properly. So there is a lot of seepage and the water is

getting contaminated,” said Mizukami. “By elevating the tanks

up out of the ground, you get a cleaner water system.”

Meanwhile, another squad is prepping the hot water heaters by

replacing the wiring and piping.

According to Heth, many of the Soldiers in the battalion are

construction contractors with their own businesses or college

students in their civilian lives. They also come from all over

the United States.

“In our battalion, we have people who come from all over the

United States. We also have just about every nationality you can

think of represented. And

they all came here to serve

their country,” said Heth.

“They are all well-educated and work together

closely as a team. It’s a

great bunch of Soldiers.”

Spc. Chelsea Evangelista, a 

carpenter/mason, and Staff Sgt.

Fertom Ariquitoke, a plumber, both

from Company A, 411th Engineer

Battalion, measure and cut-to-fit

rebar that will be used to build aboveground platforms for water tanks. 

Army Reserve Soldiers with the 353rd Engineer Group help restore the 

infrastructure in Iraq. (PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, 

U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND)

Spc. Dale Balsis, a heavy equipment operator with Company A, 411th Engineer 

Battalion, helps guide an Alaskan barrier into place.

PHOTO: SGT. DAN PURCELL, 122ND MOBILE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENTPHOTO: SGT. DAN PURCELL, 122ND MOBILE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENT
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 23

416th CIVIL AFFAIRS BATTALION WORKS TO

IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN IRAQ

Throughout Iraq, Army Reserve Soldiers with the 416th Civil

Affairs Battalion from Norristown, Pennsylvania, are

working diligently to improve the infrastructure of Iraq.

Improving Health Care Delivery Systems

Raising the standard of health care starts with providing the

appropriate health care delivery systems, including facilities,

equipment and supplies, and Soldiers with the 416th have been

working with Coalition forces to do just that. Not only have

they been repairing clinics and expanding existing structures,

they also have been purchasing critical medical equipment and

providing necessary medicines on a consistent basis unlike anything the region has experienced before.

“With the money the Coalition forces have provided, Army

Reserve Soldiers have helped us provide two hospitals and 17

health clinics within Zakho with needed medical supplies;

clean, updated facilities; and new and better health care

equipment,” said Dr. Khorshwez Said, director of Zakho

General Hospital.

When the 416th first arrived in Zakho, they met with the

mayor, Shakh Akhr Shakh Jemal, to discuss what he thought

his city needed most. Immediately, Jemal said the city needed to

improve its health care system.

“After talking with the mayor, we were able to go right to the

city’s general hospital authorities to ask them what they

needed,” said 1st Lt. Tim Zeisset of Lincoln, Nebraska, a

project officer with the 416th. “Then we were able to submit a

proposal to the Coalition authorities to obtain the funding necessary to get started.”

Over the past year, Coalition forces have spent more than $1

million to improve the health care system in northern Iraq.

22 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

COMPANY C, 411th ENGINEER BATTALION 

GETS THE JOB DONE

Every unit runs into obstacles when trying to complete its

mission in Iraq. No matter how much the unit trains, it just

can’t be prepared for every contingency. The same can be said

for the Soldiers of Company C, 411th Engineer Battalion, an

Army Reserve unit from Guam that has been attached to the 1st

Cavalry Division to construct buildings on Camp Victory North

in Baghdad.

“Right now, our platoon is working on a finance center. We are

supposed to have it done in 11 days,” said Staff Sgt. Lawrence

S. Terlaje, a site manager for the 411th, standing before the bare

frame of a future building. “However, it won’t be easy.”

The problem is that, even while several Soldier-carpenters work

hard at driving nails into wood planks and sawing two-by-fours

in the mid-day sun, many of the Soldiers of the 411th are on

“Red Cycle” — assigned to more detail-oriented tasking such as

checkpoint operations — or sleeping after night shifts.

Another obstacle the unit is confronting has to do with the construction materials themselves.

“A carpenter knows when he looks at a two-by-four. The U.S.

standard is actually an inch-and-a-half by three-and-a-half

inches. Here, we see three different sizes,” added Terlaje. “And,

Restoring Security Operations

In addition to improving health care in Zahko, Soldiers from the

416th have raised more than $4 million in recent months from

various sources to provide districts within the Irbil governate —

Mergassor, Choman and Seran — much needed equipment to

support security operations, including computers, printers,

copiers, buses, pickup trucks, backhoes, and dump trucks.

“When they found out we could raise money for the area, they

asked us how we thought they should use it,” said 1st Lt.

Timothy Hilfiger, team leader for the 416th. “There were some

items the local leaders consistently requested, so we worked at

getting those items delivered first.”

“There were some items the local leaders 

consistently requested, so we worked at getting

those items delivered first.”

The donation of 15 buses complemented a larger rural education

project the team had been spearheading in the area. When completed, this project will bring 12 new schools to the three

districts. The buses will be distributed to the districts so children from smaller villages will have the transportation necessary

to attend the schools.

The pickup trucks, backhoes and dump trucks are targeted at

giving the districts’ electric and water departments the ability to

perform their own maintenance work in the future.

Dr. Khorshwez Said, director of Zahko General Hospital in Iraq, points out the new equipment

that was purchased and delivered to a hospital in the Zahko region to improve their health

care delivery services. 

with the weather out here, the lumber takes a real beating. When

we get it from the yard, it’s compressed and bundled down.

However, as soon as we take it out of its packing, the dry air

starts to affect it. So, we need to get it nailed down fast.”

Then there are the electrical differences.

“We are set up for 220 volts, but the hertz is different here. It is

destroying our equipment. So we are doing what we can to buy

equipment from local shops that already is set up for the same

hertz,” said Terlaje.

Despite these problems, Terlaje and his fellow Soldiers maintain

they joined the Army Reserve for the challenge.

“I like the challenges of this job. And I like being with my fellow

Soldiers to meet those challenges,” added Terlaje. “If I have to be

away from my family, I want to be here with my unit. This is my

second family, and it makes all of this worthwhile.”

“I like the challenges of this job. And I like

being with my fellow Soldiers to meet these

challenges.”

Sgt. Barcelene Gose (right), an electrician, and Sgt. Jeremiah Diaz, a plumber, perform carpentry duties building a new finance center next to the Camp Victory North Army Post Office in

Baghdad. Gose and Diaz are members of Company C, 411th Engineer Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Guam. 

1st Lt. Timothy Hilfiger of the 416th’s Civil Affairs Team North inspects boxes of computer

supplies targeted for the local governments. 

PHOTO: PFC. AL BARRUS, 122ND MOBILE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENT

PHOTO: SPC. BLAIR LARSON

PHOTO: SPC. GRETEL SHARPEE, 139TH MOBILE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENT
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 25

“We’re looking for ways to help

them become more self-sufficient,” added Hilfiger. “If they

can do their own maintenance,

they will have to rely on us and

the central government less in

the future.”

The computer equipment will be

used to network the local government departments together to

help enable them to be more

responsive to their citizens.

Currently, the 416th is concentrating more on the rural,

war-torn villages that otherwise

would not see improvements for

several years to come.

In addition, Soldiers from 

the 416th also are working 

to improve security around

Mosul’s schools. In June,

members from the unit’s higher

education team handed out

$10,000 worth of security equipment, such as body armor,

megaphones, flashlights, reflective vests, and metal detectors

to the security guards from Mosul University. Maj. Wayne

Bowen, the higher education team chief, recommended the

project for funding through the Commander’s Emergency

Response Program in response to requests he got from the

security guards.

“So far, the campus has been less violent than other universities

in the country,” said Bowen. “However, terrorists have tried to

get onto campus and there have been a few drive-by shootings

outside the university.”

The body armor will be worn by the guards who work at the

gates of the university, while the metal detectors will enable the

guards to more effectively search people coming through the

gates. The megaphones will be used to control riots and demonstrations on campus.

The Soldiers also provided training to the guards on how to

safely and effectively use the equipment.

“This equipment will give the guards a greater sense of 

confidence as they go about the business of doing their jobs,”

added Bowen.

[Top] Construction continues on new homes being built for displaced Kurds in Iraq. 

Providing Homes for Displaced Persons

In the Dahuk governate, the Soldiers of the 416th Civil Affairs

Battalion have been working with local government, non-governmental organizations and Coalition forces to provide much

needed housing for displaced persons.

The families, recognized as Internally Displaced People (IDP),

were forced from their homes between 1961 and the establishment of the no-fly zone after the First Gulf War in 1992. During

that time, Saddam Hussein’s regime destroyed nearly 4,500 villages using chemical or conventional bombs on the villagers. To

avoid being killed, many Kurdish families fled to nearby Turkey,

Syria or Iran.

Musi Ali Bakrr is the Chairman of the High Committee for

IDPs and Refugees for the Dahuk governate, and is in the forefront of the fight for the Kurdish families. He currently

represents nearly 25,000 families or 160,000 individuals in the

governate who remain homeless.

“The wounds of the IDPs are very deep. After 30 years of organized destruction of the Kurdish people, it will take nothing less

than 60 years of organized reconstruction to repair the damage

done,” said Bakrr.

24 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

Maj. Wayne Bowen, higher education team chief with the 416th, delivers security 

equipment to the guards at Mosul University. 

[Bottom] Sgt. Jeffrey Gliem, public safety team leader for the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion’s

Dahuk team, hands the keys to one of two new police patrol vehicles to Brig. Gen. Nazar R.

Aziz, the Dahuk governate chief of police. 

PHOTO: SPC. AARON RITTER PHOTO: SPC. AARON RITTER

PHOTO: SPC. BLAIR LARSON
26 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 27

pottery is estimated to be approximately 5,000 years old,

and it has been linked to the Nuzi people of the Hurrian

civilization.

Nuzi was a provincial agricultural town in the small

Hurrian kingdom of Arrapha, whose capital today is buried

under the town of Kirkuk. Arrapha was situated along the

southeastern edge of an area believed to be under

Mittanian domination. Babylonia lay to the south and, to

the west, was Assyria, whose revolt against the Hurrian

kingdom of Mittania is suspected of having led to the

destruction of Nuzi and the ultimate collapse of Mittania

in the 14th century.

In 1972, representatives from Harvard University excavated

the town of Nuzi, which is about 10 miles south of Kirkuk.

One remarkable item recovered from the site was the

world’s oldest map etched on rock and dated at about 5,500

years ago.

“The area that we now know as Iraq used to be known as

Mesopotamia,” added Morton. “Mesopotamia is credited

with being the cradle of civilization. Its people were

believed to be the first to develop an agricultural system, a

writing system and metal alloys.”

According to Morton, Iraq sits on top of the world’s oldest

and most significant historical sites, and no one knows

what might be found next. That is why it is important to

safeguard these particular sites.

“For now, it is our responsibility to ensure we don’t cause

any damage to these sites,” he added.

478th COMBAT ENGINEER BATTALION RECEIVES

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION

Their job was to clear minefields and to escort the Marines

through heavy fighting in Iraq. During 33 days of combat, a

period that demanded four major river crossings and destroying

Iraqi bunkers, Army Reserve Soldiers from the Fort Thomas,

Kentucky-based 478th Combat Engineer Battalion proved they

were more than up to the challenge. In May, they received the

Presidential Unit Citation for their service in Iraq — the highest

award an Army unit can receive.

“It’s nice. It gives you a sense of accomplishment,” said Sgt.

Robert Williams of Beavercreek, Ohio.

More than 200 of the battalion’s members were honored at the

small ceremony conducted at the Army Reserve Center at Fort

Thomas before an audience of about 100 friends and relatives.

Every Soldier who participated in the campaign received a

ribbon to wear on his or her uniform.

During the six months the engineers were deployed, 168 Army

Commendation Medals and 390 Army Achievement Medals

were awarded to the Soldiers of the 478th for outstanding service

to the United States, their fellow Soldiers and the Iraqi people.

In addition, 11 Soldiers received the Bronze Star.

“I’m so proud of my son,” said Sherry Hammons, whose son,

Sgt. Jeff Hammons, is with the battalion. “They deserve this

honor, especially because there is a remote possibility that they

could go back.”

Most of the Soldiers said they remain dedicated to the overall mission.

“We have a commitment to the people of Iraq, and we need to bring 

stability to that country,” said Spec. James Woodson of Cleves, Ohio.

The IDPs currently live in nearly 325 structures throughout

Dahuk known as public buildings. These include abandoned

schools, office buildings and former military installations. As

many as ten people live within rooms measuring 20’ x 20’, while

families share kitchen space often consisting of nothing more

than a couple of burners and a few dishes.

To combat the homeless problems of the region, Bakrr is trying

to provide homes in area villages instead of using available

resources to fix the public buildings. And that is where the

Soldiers of the 416th come in.

“We are rebuilding these villages because each village we help

restore means that many more people are able to have

homes,” said Lt. Col. Kenneth Scarano, who oversees the

416th’s operations in Dahuk.

“We are rebuilding these villages because

each village we help restore means that many

more people are able to have homes.”

To date, more than 150 homes have been erected for IDPs in

three locations. Additional homes still are under construction,

while there are plans to construct many more in the future.

Those families who have been displaced the longest are being

given priority in receiving a house. If chosen, the family

receives full ownership of the home at no cost.

Giving Police the Tools to Do Their Job

Also in Dahuk, Soldiers of the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion

have worked closely with local police officers to obtain much

needed equipment to be used to help deter crime, including

several desktop computers, copiers, fax machines, and digital

cameras, as well as two new police vehicles. The $30,000 project,

headed by the Army Reserve Soldiers and funded by the

Commander’s Emergency Response Program, was identified as

a priority need by community leaders in the region.

“This equipment is important because many of the districts

lack the necessary vehicles and computer systems to effectively

do their jobs,” said Sgt. Jeffrey Gliem, public safety team leader

for the 416th in Dahuk.

Throughout the governate’s six districts, the police only have 25

patrol vehicles, while two districts have no vehicles at all. As a

result, most police officers have been restricted primarily to

monitoring thoroughfares and intersections around their posts

in an attempt to keep their presence known to the public.

“Our goal was to help the police department become more mobile,”

added Gliem. “An officer really cannot patrol effectively on foot. So,

our hope has been that the added transportation will help, even

marginally, to increase their ability to respond in times of crisis.”

Brig. Gen. Nazar R. Aziz, the Dahuk governate chief of police,

added that the office equipment will improve greatly the 

department’s ability to coordinate and communicate crimes 

in real-time among its 29 police substations. In the future, 

the 416th hopes to teach local officers how to create a criminal

database.

“I love to see how happy the officers are to receive this 

equipment,” said Gliem. “Doing this makes me feel like I have 

done something at the end of the day, and makes me want 

to work harder to get more projects approved for these people

in the future.”

451st CIVIL AFFAIRS BATTALION HELPS PRESERVE

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES

Four and five thousand-year old artifacts from Iraq’s multicultured past were discovered when Soldiers of Company B,

65th Engineer Battalion dug into a hill while gathering dirt

for Hesco defense barriers. Capt. Nicholas Gianforti, an intelligence officer for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and a

college anthropology major, responded first to the site after

its discovery.

“Once the engineers found it, they stopped digging and notified the brigade tactical operations center,” said Gianforti.

“The next day, I went out to the site to verify whether

or not it was an archeological find.”

After confirming the find, additional hills in the area also

were found to hold archeological treasures. For the next

month, Soldiers of Company B, 451st Civil Affairs

Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Pasadena, Texas,

attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, invited local

archeologists from the Museum of Antiquities to identify

the artifacts and search for other potential sites.

“As Americans, our policy is to respect the cultures of the

country that we find ourselves in,” said Maj. Karl Morton,

commander of the 451st. “The better the locals understand

that, I think the more supportive they are. That’s one of our

main missions — building local support.”

At first, the area was believed to

be a gravesite. However, upon

closer examination, it was

revealed that the animal bones

and pottery were related to an

ancient settlement. Some of the

An Army Reserve Soldier with Company B,

451st Civil Affairs Battalion from Pasadena,

Texas, explores a newly discovered 

archeological site in Iraq. 

Lt. Col. Mark Williams presents the battalion’s flag while Brig. Gen. James Bauerle (Ret)

attaches the Presidential Unit Citation streamer.

Lt. Col. Mark Williams, commander of the 478th, stands in front of his troops while the

battalion is awarded the Presidential Unit Citation at Fort Thomas, Ky.

PHOTO: SPC. SEAN KIMMONS, 25TH ID PUBLIC AFFAIRS UNIT

PHOTO: UNKNOWNPHOTO: UNKNOWN
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 29

785th COMBAT STRESS COMPANY 

HELPS COMBAT THE STRESS OF COMBAT

Stress is something the Soldiers of the 785th Combat Stress

Company, an Army Reserve unit from Minneapolis, Minnesota,

understand. And they are doing their best to help Soldiers

resolve stress problems before and as they occur.

“We offer the Soldiers a couple of things,” said Capt. Robert

Johnson, a psychologist with the 785th. “Perhaps the most

important is restoration for Soldiers who are experiencing a lot

of stress in their lives — whether it is battlefield-related or the

result of being away from loved ones in a dangerous environment halfway across the world.”

Soldiers who seek assistance from the 785th are screened first to

determine the extent, depth and severity of their problems.

“I do the initial intake interview, where we collect all of the

information from the Soldiers to find out what might be going

on,” said Sgt. Jennifer Iveland, a mental health specialist with

the unit. “Then they see one of the professional staff — a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker. Between us, we decide

the disposition and treatment plan for the Soldiers.”

Unfortunately, according to Iveland, a stigma can attach to

Soldiers who choose to discuss and try to manage their stressrelated problems.

28 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“It’s something we’re trying to get past,” added Iveland. “After

all, we’re here to help them cope, and to give them the tools necessary to help them deal better with their duty and deployment.”

Generally, the most common stress problems are the result of

either: 1) combat-related issues where a Soldier has been in a lot

of fighting; 2) home-front issues related to spouses and children;

or 3) chain of command issues. Most of the therapy involves

getting Soldiers to focus on the stress and anger management.

According to Johnson, seeking assistance for battlefield stress is

nothing to be ashamed of. All Soldiers serving in Iraq are subjected to numerous types of stress on a daily basis. And the long

days away from home living in cramped quarters with mortar

rounds dropping continuously can give even the strongest personalities cause for concern.

Johnson recalled a Soldier who had been awarded two Purple

Hearts during his second rotation supporting Operation Iraqi

Freedom, who sought out their assistance.

“He already had two Purple Hearts and he had taken three

rounds that were stopped by his body armor plates,” said

Johnson. “We are very proud of him and his service. At the same

time, however, we know the kinds of stress that can cause. After

all, we all have our limits.”

made rugs and handbags, soft drinks and ice cream, and gold

jewelry. The place draws an ever-increasing crowd of locals, 

military, contract workers, and government employees, who

gingerly navigate the narrow aisle sandwiched between twin

rows of wooden stalls.

According to Dawson, there is no rental fee charged for stall

space, which is provided on a first come-first served basis. More

than 300 workers man the stalls, including six female Iraqis who

serve as sub-managers for Dawson.

“They help me enforce standards, update changes and provide

input into the bazaar,” added Dawson. “For instance, this is

the first week we’ve sold melons. And we’re planning on bringing more fruits and vegetables based upon demand.”

Supply and demand always have served as the cornerstone for

success in commercial centers, and the bazaar is no exception.

“I came here for a circular saw,” said Staff Sgt. David Patterson

of the 785th Combat Stress Detachment from Minneapolis,

Minnesota, a frequent shopper at the bazaar. “If you need something, you just tell one of the vendors what you want.

Sometimes, we go online and get a picture of the item for them.

Then they go into Baghdad and find it for you. Their prices are

reasonable — about what you’d pay at home.”

Dawson also serves as the U.S. military liaison for the Women’s

Center in Baghdad, where she champions the struggle for

gender equality and equal opportunity. She actively encourages

the women of Iraq to move into the future, joining the workforce

to gain greater independence.

“They’ve lived under these traditional roles for so long,” said

Dawson. “But as times change, their roles must change. I’m

proud to be helping these women.”

Dawson believes the evolution of

the women’s role in Iraq and in the

new nation’s workplace ultimately

will help the country become more

productive. She sees the bazaar as a

microcosm of how things might

operate on a grander scale one day

soon in the future.

“I really like working with the

vendors,” added Dawson. “Some

day, I would like to see them develop

their efforts into truly prosperous

small businesses.”

478th CIVIL AFFAIRS BATTALION SOLDIER

MANAGES VENDORS WITH KINDNESS

Maj. Annette Dawson’s job isn’t easy. Today, she has to meet

with the second wife of a bazaar vendor who was killed in a

robbery to settle his estate. Throughout the difficult process,

she displays a remarkable degree of kindness as she works to

ensure an even division of property between both of the

vendor’s wives.

Dawson, a special projects officer with the 478th Civil Affairs

Battalion and an educator from Hobbs, New Mexico, is

charged with oversight for the popular bazaar located approximately two blocks away from the Presidential Palace in

Baghdad.

“I maintain supervision of the market and ensure the vendors

are operating within the guidelines and standards of the

Coalition authority and Iraqi people,” said Dawson. “Other

than that, I just try to be honest and fair.”

“I maintain supervision of the market and

ensure the vendors are operating within the

guidelines and standards of the Coalition

authority and Iraqi people.”

The market features a surprising array of useful and eclectic

wares — everything from CDs and DVDs to watches, hand

Maj. Annette Dawson of the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion discusses business with two of

her vendors in the bazaar she manages near the Presidential Palace in Baghdad. 

Sgt. Jennifer Iveland and Capt. Robert Johnson, both Army Reserve Soldiers with the 785th Combat Stress Company from Minneapolis, Minn., discuss Soldier treatment. 

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND
30 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

“We helped him recognize that he had hit a point where he no

longer could cope appropriately with being a combat Soldier.

He is still a Soldier, but we had him look for another position.”

Johnson said he enlisted in the Army Reserve just prior to

September 11th because he felt the need to serve his nation.

“My brother was in Vietnam,” said Johnson. “And, in the times

we are facing now, I felt this was my opportunity to help the

Soldiers who are serving over here.”

“...in the times we are facing now, I felt this

was my opportunity to help the Soldiers who

are serving over here.”

Before being mobilized, Johnson worked for the U.S.

Department of Justice and managed a drug abuse program in a

200-bed unit in a Texas correctional facility. He resides in Grand

Prairie, Texas.

Iveland was awaiting enrollment into the Active Guard/Reserve

(AGR) program when she was mobilized. She makes her home

in Laverne, Minnesota.

810th MILITARY POLICE COMPANY CONDUCTS

CONVOY SECURITY OPERATIONS INTO IRAQ

The ragged sound of tapping valves beneath the dusty hoods of

several HMMWVs fills the air, which smells strongly of diesel

fuel. The vehicles have just been “topped off ” for the trip north

into Iraq. It’s just after daybreak — about 5:00 a.m. — and it’s

already hot. But not as hot as it could get.

“...an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) attacked a patrol in

that area. All of that happened within the past 24 hours. Any

questions?” said Staff Sgt. Roland Sioris, finishing his

threat condition briefing to the Soldiers from the 810th

Military Police Company, an Army Reserve unit from

Tampa, Florida.

Since being extended from performing U.S. Customs support

operations in Kuwaiti camps where U.S. troops were deploying

home, the Soldiers of the 810th have been on a mission to

conduct convoy security operations into Iraq.

“We meet the convoys here in the staging lanes, meshing into

the trucks as they depart. We take them where they need to go

and then come back,” added Sioris.

To ensure the safety of the supply movement, the unit 

provides six, heavily armed HMMWVs, which travel to some

of the northernmost forward operating bases in Iraq. 

The mission can last anywhere from 16 hours to four days 

to complete the return trek to Kuwait, and the long days

demand every Soldiers’ fullest

attention since attacks on U.S.

operations throughout Iraq

have increased dramatically in

recent months.

“You have to keep an eye on

everything,” said HMMWV

driver Spec. Corey Campbell,

who enlisted in the Army

Reserve to earn additional

money for college. Although

Campbell had to place his

studies on hold when his unit

was mobilized, he has managed

to complete four online courses

since arriving in Kuwait.

[Right] Spc. John Ryan of the 810th Military

Police Company is bundled up for the fine

blowing sand he will encounter during his

journey north into Iraq. (PHOTO: COURTESY OF

MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS

ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND)

Staff Sgt. Roland Sioris of the 810th listens to the final updates on the 

unit’s security briefing.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND
32 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 33

“During the longer trips, I switch jobs with my gunner,” said

Campbell. “That way, we both have the opportunity to either

drive or man the vehicle’s weapons system. This allows us to

stay more alert and mission focused.”

“We call it the ‘Iraqi Express,’ and we have

encounters nearly every time we go out.”

“We call it the ‘Iraqi Express,’ and we have encounters nearly

every time we go out,” said Spec. Charles Spencer. “A problem

can erupt at a moment’s notice — like a vehicle stopping or a

vehicle entering the convoy. Even normal traffic in Iraq —

people going to or from work — can create problems for us.”

874th MOVEMENT REGULATING DETACHMENT GETS

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO COALITION FORCES

More than 1,000 trucks carry mission-essential supplies each

day through Habur Gate on the Turkey-Iraq border to

Coalition forces operating from northern Iraq all the way

down to Baghdad. The trucks move food, water, fuel and other

items shipped from ports in Turkey and other locations in

Europe. Sorting the trucks and identifying what essential supplies cross the border is the job of the 874th Movement

Regulating Detachment, an Army Reserve unit from Staten

Island, New York.

“We stage the trucks for movement south to ensure their security and their arrival to Coalition forces throughout northern

Iraq,” said Maj. Michael Butler, the unit’s commander and a resident of Staten Island. “We expedite a process that otherwise

might take days.”

“We stage the trucks for movement south to

ensure their security and their arrival to

Coalition forces throughout northern Iraq.”

The trucks line up on either side of the border waiting to cross

sometimes for days. During the time it takes to move the items,

the drivers live in the trucks.

Sgt. Rui Wu, an Army Reserve Soldier with the 874th, works

in the border holding area keeping track of the trucks

waiting to go south. According to him, while his job might

not seem like much, it affects all of the Soldiers in the distribution area.

“If a convoy of ours is attacked on either side — Iraq or Turkey

— supplies will be late. And, if the supplies are not handled

properly, time will be wasted getting the supplies to the troops,”

said Wu.

The Coalition forces, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and contracted

security companies provide security for the convoys traveling

south. Given the large number of trucks moving supplies, security presents a number of challenges.

“The biggest problem we have is communication between

drivers. If they see something or have a problem with their

vehicle, it is hard for the convoy escorts to find out right away,”

added Butler. “But once the convoys move south, we trust that

their security escorts will ensure their safe arrival and that the

troops will get what they need.” 

In the many months that the Army Reserve Soldiers of the

810th have been on duty in Kuwait and Iraq, strong bonds have

been formed.

“With us, everything just clicks. Typically, we’re pretty laid

back. However, as soon as we cross that border, we put on a 

different face. We become the ‘Hell Hounds,’” added Spencer.

“We all came here together, and we’re all going home

together.”

On any given day, trucks can be seen lined up for miles waiting to cross the border

between Iraq and Turkey at Habur Gate.

Spc. Charles Spencer of the 810th lubricates a turret-mounted 50-caliber machine gun aboard his HMMWV before heading into Iraq.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND

PHOTOS THIS PAGE: SPC. GRETEL SHARPEE, 139TH MOBILE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DETACHMENT
Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 35

insignia adorning the uniforms of foreign soldiers, and believing them to be a great convenience, he requested that a design

be created for a distinctive unit patch for the 81st. In keeping

with the Division’s nickname, Sgt. Dan Silverman of Asheville,

North Carolina, a sergeant with some artistic training, designed

the Division’s Wildcat patch.

After learning that the insignia was unauthorized for his

Soldiers to wear, Bailey personally appealed to Gen. John J.

Pershing, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), to secure permission for its continued use citing morale issues. Pershing

agreed, reportedly stating in his trademark terse style, “All

right. Go ahead and wear it. And see that you live up to it!”

Following that meeting, Pershing directed all American divisions to design and wear their own distinctive shoulder patches.

By November 11, 1918, there were 34 Army and National Guard

units in Europe, each sporting new insignia on their shoulders.

Today, the Army Reserve Soldiers of the 81st RRC continue to

proudly wear the Wildcat patch as they accomplish their missions at home and abroad.

34 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

A Distinguished Legacy

During World War I, the 81st distinguished itself in fighting in

France, receiving the personal commendation of Pershing. Not

only did they participate in the occupation of the St. Die sector,

they also participated in the offense at Meuse-Argonne.

During World War I, the 81st 

distinguished itself in fighting in France, 

receiving the personal commendation of

[Gen. John J.] Pershing.

Following World War I, the “Wildcat” Division was deactivated,

only to be recalled to duty in June 1942 after the start of World

War II. Committed for nearly a year in the Pacific, the Division

was engaged in action in Peleliu, Ulithi, Ngesbus, Congaru, and

Garakayo. Later, it was part of the Army of Occupation of Japan.

On January 20, 1946, the Division again was inactivated.

In May 1968, the “Wildcat” patch once again appeared in

combat as three ARCOM units were mobilized and deployed to

Vietnam for a year. In August 1990, 81st ARCOM units were

among the first Army Reserve units to be called up in support of

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Fifty-two units and

nearly 6,000 Army Reserve Soldiers from the 81st ARCOM

served as an integral part of the Army’s resources, most of them

serving in the Middle East.

Then, on August 24, 1992, when Hurricane Andrew waged its

own war of mass destruction in southern Florida, Army

Reserve Soldiers from the 81st ARCOM — many of them

victims themselves of the hurricane — answered the call to

provide disaster relief. Not only did they assist in clearing

debris, they also provided medical support, public affairs coverage, and legal counseling.

In January 1993, volunteers from numerous units within the

81st ARCOM again answered the call to duty by providing

support for Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. Additionally, in

March 1994, members of the ARCOM’s 421st Quartermaster

Company prepared and rigged humanitarian relief items in

Rhein Main, Germany, for airdrop into Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Sgt. Theresa Chatman and Sgt. 1st Class Vaughn Daly of the 802nd Ordnance Company

out of Gainesville, Ga., note the serial numbers on a load of Multi-Launch Rocket System

missiles at the Ammunition Supply Point at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. Chatman and Daly

were mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

T

he 81st Regional Readiness Command (RRC),

which exercises command and control over

more than 30,000 Army Reserve Soldiers and

provides support to more than 40,000 Army Reserve

Soldiers, combines the territories of North and

South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky,

Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. It includes,

among others, quartermaster, engineer, medical,

chemical, and military intelligence units—all ready

to go forth and accomplish their mission.

History of the “Wildcat”

The history of the 81st RRC began on August 26, 1917, when the

81st Infantry Division was organized at Camp (now “Fort”)

Jackson, South Carolina. Legend has it that it became known as the “Wildcat” Division

after troops found a snarling wildcat on the banks of Wildcat Creek, which flows

throughout the area.

The wildcat later made its way onto the Division’s patch when Brig. Gen. Charles J.

Bailey, commanding officer of the 81st Infantry Division, returned from inspecting the

French and British battlefronts of Europe in early 1918. Having observed various unit

Continuing a Legacy of Honor:

A PROFILE OF THE 81st REGIONAL

READINESS COMMAND

The 81st Wildcat Division.

The Wildcat patch worn by 81st RRC 

Soldiers today.

ALL PHOTOS IN THIS FEATURE: COURTESY OF STAFF SGT. DEREK WITHERSPOON, 81ST RRC PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
“The purpose of piloting this program with the 81st is to iron

out all of the bugs. That way, when we go to implement this

program with the other RRCs, we won’t have as many challenges

to overcome,” said Col. Shirley A. Quarles, Deputy Chief of Staff

for G-1 (personnel services).

Recruiting Officers to Lead the Force

Another pilot program the 81st RRC is spearheading is designed

to help recruit second lieutenants into the Army Reserve. With

the approval of Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, Chief of the Army

Reserve, the 81st RRC has established an Army Reserve detachment (the Georgia Mountain Detachment) to commission

lieutenants from North Georgia College and State University

(NGCSU) in Dahlonega, Georgia, into the Army Reserve. The

goal is to have 70 new cadets in the Georgia Mountain

Detachment by the end of fiscal year 2004. The intention is to

influence many of those new recruits into becoming Army

Reserve officers.

“This is a great program,” said Maj. Gen. Alan D. Bell, commander of the 81st RRC. “It is a marriage of what the Army

Reserve has to offer students and what those students can offer

the Army Reserve. We hope the program will spread to other

campuses throughout the United States.”

Allowing the Force to Retreat

Another program the 81st RRC is testing involves helping

Soldiers reunite with their spouses after long deployments, such

as Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Recognizing the difficulties that can occur when Soldiers and

their spouses reunite after long separations, the 81st RRC’s

Chaplains Office has introduced what they are calling

“Marriage Enrichment Retreats.”

“Reattachment is the toughest issue facing married couples

during the redeployment process,” said 81st RRC Chaplain

(Lt. Col.) Gerald R. Nelson. “During deployments, Soldiers

and family members alike attach themselves to others to help

cope with the mobilization. Upon return, they have to work at

breaking those bonds. They also have to face other issues, such

as parenting and forgiveness. The Retreats allow them to do

this in a quiet and relaxing environment.”

“We also offer retreats for single Soldiers to help re-acclimate

them to civilian life,” he added.

With a motto of “Wildcats never quit,” it appears that the 81st

RRC will continue to work relentlessly to accomplish any

mission placed before them, as well as to adapt to any change

thrown in their path. 

HISTORY OF THE 81ST REGIONAL

READINESS COMMAND

★ August 26, 1917 The 81st Infantry Division is organized at

Camp (“Fort”) Jackson, South Carolina

★ World War I The 81st participates in the occupation of

the St. Die sector and the offense at MeuseArgonne

★ World War II The 81st engages in action in Peleliu,

Ulithi, Ngesbus, Congaru, and Garakayo in

the Pacific. 

The 81st also becomes part of the Army of 

Occupation of Japan

★ December 1967 The Headquarters of the 81st U.S. Army

Reserve Command (ARCOM) is established

★ May 1968 Three 81st ARCOM units are mobilized 

and deployed to Vietnam

★ August 1990 Fifty-two units and nearly 6,000 Soldiers

from the 81st ARCOM are called up in

support of Operations Desert Shield and

Desert Storm

★ August 1992 Army Reserve Soldiers from the 81st

ARCOM provide disaster relief in the wake

of Hurricane Andrew

★ January 1993 Volunteers from numerous units within the

81st ARCOM provide support for Operation

Restore Hope in Somalia

★ March 1994 Members of the 81st ARCOM’s 421st

Quartermaster Company prepare and rig

humanitarian relief items for airdrop into

Bosnia-Herzegovina

★ April 1995 The 121st ARCOM is reorganized as the

U.S. Army 81st Regional Support Command

(RSC)

★ July 2003 The 81st RSC is re-designated the U.S.

Army 81st Regional Readiness Command

(RRC), with units participating in various

military operations worldwide

36 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 37

Reorganization and Re-designation

In April 1995, the 81st ARCOM was inactivated as part of the

restructuring of the Army Reserve to better meet the Army’s

changing global missions, reduce command overhead, and

enhance federal military support for domestic assistance missions. In its place, the 121st ARCOM officially was reorganized

as the U.S. Army 81st Regional Support Command (RSC).

Under this restructuring, the 81st became the largest Army

Reserve Command in the United States.

On July 16, 2003, the 81st RRC was re-designated the U.S. Army

81st Regional Readiness Command (RRC). The 81st RRC has

Army Reserve units participating in various military operations

all over the world, such as Operation Joint Guardian, Operation

Noble Eagle, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi

Freedom. Currently, approximately 8,000 Army Reserve Soldiers

from the 81st RRC have been mobilized in support of Operations

Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Currently, approximately 8,000 Army Reserve

Soldiers from the 81st RRC have been 

mobilized in support of Operations Enduring

Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Training the Force

Today, making sure Soldiers are well trained

for mobilization is a priority for the 81st RRC.

At any given time, the 81st RRC has units

participating in training exercises to prepare

them for their wartime missions on a

moment’s notice. Some of the more recent

training exercises include Golden Medic (a

mass casualty medical exercise), RIO LOBO

(a chemical defensive exercise), and New

Horizons (a humanitarian aid exercised profiled in last issue’s Around the Globe section).

In addition, the 81st RRC continues to be a

leader in testing new pilot programs planned

for implementation throughout the total

Army Reserve. Some of the more recent programs include the Trainees, Transients,

Holdees and Students Account (TTHS), the

Second Lieutenant Recruiting Program

(taking place at North Georgia College and

State University), and the Marriage and Singles’ Retreats (for

demobilizing Army Reserve Soldiers).

...the 81st RRC continues to be a leader 

in testing new pilot programs planned for 

implementation throughout the total 

Army Reserve.

The TTHS Program

The TTHS Program, which the 81st RRC is spearheading, is

designed to help increase the readiness of Army Reserve units

by removing non-deployable Soldiers from Troop Program Unit

(TPU) force structure positions.

Under this program, Soldiers who are not MOS-qualified or

who are otherwise non-deployable no longer will be assigned to

units. Instead, they will be assigned to the TTHS Account,

where they will be the responsibility of, and managed by, TTHS

managers at the Regional Readiness Command level. The

Soldiers will continue to drill, but the training may be with a

different unit. Once MOS-qualified and deployable, they will be

reassigned. The goal is to have Soldiers transitioned out of the

TTHS Account within 180 days or sooner if possible.

Maj. James Eidt, Jr., vessel officer with the 1184th Transportation Terminal Battalion from

Mobile, Ala., directs a Bradley fighting vehicle off a ship at the Port of Ash Shuaybah,

Kuwait. Eidt’s Army Reserve unit was mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
38 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 39

★

[Center Left] Ronald Reagan addressing the troops. [Top] Army Reserve Soldiers with the

5115th Theater Support Unit headquartered at Fort Meade, Md., march onto Constitution

Avenue in Washington, D.C., as the processional begins to honor former president Ronald

W. Reagan. [Center Right] The riderless horse. [Bottom Right] Funeral procession for

former president Ronald W. Reagan.

The Army Reserve Honors a Former

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

T

he 5115th Theater Support Unit, comprised of Army Reserve

Soldiers from the greater Washington, D.C. metro area and surrounding states, represented the U.S. Army Reserve in the state

funeral procession for former president Ronald W. Reagan, who

served from 1981 to 1989 as the 40th president of the United States.

Reagan, who was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, died

on June 5, 2004, in Bel Air, California.

As past commanders-in-chief of the U.S. military, former presidents are afforded specific

military honors. The sitting president directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct the

funeral on behalf of the nation. The U.S. Army Military District of Washington, D.C., is

responsible for all of the ceremonial arrangements, and each branch of the armed forces

provides personnel and support to honor the former commanders-in-chief. The last state

funeral held in Washington, D.C., took place in 1973 to honor Lyndon B. Johnson.

Headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland, and commanded by Col. Vincent T. Taylor, the

5115th currently is part of the 99th Regional Readiness Command. It provides trained

and ready Soldiers capable of effectively augmenting U.S. Army Europe in a variety of

combined and joint operations.

The Soldiers of the 5115th have distinguished themselves during Operation Desert

Shield/Desert Storm and on numerous high profile missions in Germany, Italy and the

Balkans. Most recently, the Soldiers of the 5115th answered the nation’s call in the War

on Terrorism and in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom. 

President Ronald W. Reagan 

1911– 2004

PHOTO: SGT. JAMES PINIERO

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL FOUNDATION

PHOTO: UNKNOWN PHOTO: UNKNOWN
40 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 41

PEOPLE

SPC. RON BUCCA VISITS CAMP

BUCCA, IRAQ

The son of a fallen New York City Fire

Marshall visited southern Iraq during

June to present a banner of support

from his family and an iron cross to the

Soldiers who live and work in the

southern Iraqi Army camp that bears

his family’s name.

Camp Bucca was named after Fire

Marshall Ronald Paul Bucca, who died on

September 11, 2001, during the terrorist

attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. Col. Ecke, himself

a New York City firefighter and Army

Reserve Soldier with the 800th Military

Police Brigade, named the prisoner of war

camp after Fire Marshall Bucca in order to

honor his heroism and sacrifice.

47-year old Ron Bucca was a 23-year

veteran of the Fire Department of New

York (FDNY) and served with Engine

95, Ladder 2, the Fitness Unit, Rescue

1, the FDNY Terrorist Task Force, and

was promoted to Fire Marshall in 1992.

Radio transmissions revealed he made it 

to the 78th floor of one of the World

Trade Center buildings and was putting

water on a fire with Battalion Chief

Oreo Palmer when he died. His body

was found close to one of the stairwells

on October 23, 2001.

Bucca also was a 29-year veteran of the

military and held the rank of warrant

officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He

spent two years on active duty with the

101st Airborne Division. However,

most of his career was with the 11th

Special Forces Group and the Defense

Intelligence Agency as an Intel analyst.

His last duty assignment was with the

3413th Military Intelligence

Detachment assigned to the 800th

Military Police Brigade.

In March of 2003, Ron Bucca, Jr.

decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. A

recent graduate of Tulane University in

New Orleans, Louisiana, Spc. Bucca left

a lucrative position at a brokerage firm

on Wall Street in New York City. He

requested service in the Special Forces,

like his father. He also requested to be

deployed to Iraq to support his country

and thereby honor his father’s memory.

With the support of Lt. Col. Lennie

Upshaw, 16th Military Police Brigade

executive officer, Spc. Bucca was able to

visit the camp that bears his family’s

name. The banner and iron cross, cut

from a steel I beam from the World Trade

Center, will become part of Camp Bucca

installation property and eventually will

be sent to be recorded into the Army

Historical Archives.

MASTER SERGEANT PULLS GUARD

DUTY AGAIN — 35 YEARS LATER

When Master Sgt. Maurice Woods,

noncommissioned officer in charge of

the liaison section, 425th Civil Affairs

Battalion, was selected to serve a shift

as Sergeant of the Guard at Task Force

1st Armored Division’s Headquarters

in May, it was the first time he had

pulled guard duty in 35 years. But not

the first time he had pulled guard duty

with the 1st Armored Division.

“It was my first time doing infantry

work since 1969,” said Woods, who was

deployed to Iraq in February. “One

thing I’ve learned in the Army is that,

if you stay in long enough, everything

will start to repeat itself.”

Woods enlisted in the Army in May 

of 1968 in Richmond, Virginia, and

was promptly sent to Basic Training 

at Fort Benning, Georgia. He attended

Advanced Infantry Training at Fort

Dix in New Jersey, before spending

three months doing nothing but KP

and guard duty with the 1st Armored

Division.

After leaving the 1st Armored Division,

he was sent to Korea with the 1st

Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th

Infantry Division. However, he was in

Korea only a matter of months before

being sent to Okinawa to undergo

Jungle Warfare Training in preparation

for being sent to Vietnam.

STILL SERVING AT 68

H

e retired from the Army in 1977

after serving 20 years on active

duty. However, when the Army

Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis,

Missouri, called and asked if he’d like 

to volunteer for active duty in Iraq,

Lt. Col. (no longer retired) John

Ritchey was honored to be packing his

bags again.

“They asked if I would be willing to

come back since they needed people

in my Military Occupational Specialty

(MOS), and I felt obligated. So that

got the ball rolling,” said Ritchey, an

ophthalmologist who is now assigned

to the 31st Combat Support hospital

in Iraq.

Early in his military career, Ritchey

served as a second lieutenant in the

artillery branch with units at Fort Bliss,

Texas. And it was the Army that paid his

full tuition and salary during his senior

year of medical studies. He completed his

medical internship in Hawaii and did his

medical residency at Walter Reed Army

Hospital in Washington, D.C. Then —

like now — he was off to war.

“When I was in Vietnam, I was in an

administrative position as the brigade

surgeon,” added Ritchey. “So this is 

my first time serving in a combat

support hospital.”

When Ritchey was eligible to retire in

1977, he settled in Fayetteville, North

Carolina, near his last duty station —

Fort Bragg.

“I came back because I felt an obligation

and commitment to my country. I feel

that the United States has done a lot for

me, so I am grateful to have this opportunity,” said Ritchey.

According to Ritchey, some things have

changed since he left the military 27

years ago. Perhaps the biggest change is

in the high caliber of today’s volunteer

Soldiers.

“I think the biggest change I’ve seen is

in the professionalism of today’s Army

Reserve Soldiers,” said Ritchey. “They

act with the efficiency and effectiveness

of the troops I used to see in the

Airborne units. And they seem so

much more motivated.”

“I also am very impressed with the

courage of these Soldiers,” he added.

That means a lot coming from a formerly

retired Soldier, who has spent the last 27

years of his retirement volunteering his

time as part of a medical team traveling

to many dangerous and underdeveloped

countries to provide aid.

“I don’t think I am that unique,” added

Ritchey. “I just did what anybody else

would do if they were in my shoes. They

needed me. So, I’m here.”

PEOPLE

Lt. Col. John Ritchey, an Army Reserve Soldier with the 31st Command Support Hospital in Iraq, prepares a prescription for KBR employee. 

At age 68, Ritchey voluntarily returned to service after 27 years in retirement. 

(Left to Right) Col. Izzy Rommes, 

Chief Warrant Officer Nelson Diaz, Spc. Ron Bucca,

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMANDPHOTO: MAJ. KEN PIERCE, 160TH MILITARY POLICE BRIGADE PAO

Command Sgt. Maj. James Weaver. 
42 ★ Army Reserve Magazine Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 43

training. Piatt was walking “point” when

a razor sharp piece of bamboo caught and

deeply sliced the outer rim of his ear from

the top of the crescent down, nearly severing it completely.

Enter Doc Sorensen, who was the

medical Corpsman assigned to Piatt’s

unit and who used more than 30 stitches

to literally reattach the outer edge of

Piatt’s ear. According to Piatt, Marines

have a special bond with the Corpsmen

assigned to their units.

“We know that they may have to take

care of us, so we take care of them,”

said Piatt. “When you’re in a squad —

Marine Corps, Infantry, whatever —

you become very tight. You know

everything about everybody in your

squad. And, oftentimes, you also

become friends.”

“When you’re in a squad—

Marine Corps, Infantry, whatever—you become very tight.”

In 1975, both were rotated to Camp

Pendleton in California, but they never

saw one another again.

“I was assigned to the First Marine

Division, and he was assigned someplace else,” added Piatt.

Eventually, Piatt ETSd (Expiration of

Time of Service), and he didn’t really

look back— until 1992, when after a 13-

year separation from duty, he enlisted in

the Army Reserve.

“I missed the camaraderie of the

service,” said Piatt. “So, I took what was

close to me in the Army Reserve.”

Piatt was assigned to the 243rd Quartermaster Battalion and cross-trained into

the Army’s 92-series Military Occupational Specialty — Food Service. The

duty is a world apart from his earlier

service as a Recon Marine, but he likes it.

In Kuwait, he oversees and manages

commercial contracts for the camp’s

dining facilities.

Piatt was married just prior to his unit’s

departure from Kansas, but never told

his wife about his ear.

“Now, I’ll tell her. After all, Doc

Sorensen checked it out and said it looks

great,” added Piatt with a smile.

By March 1970, Woods was serving a

tour in Vietnam, where he was assigned

to be the unit armorer for the 570th

Transportation Group— a group made

up entirely of transportation officers

who operated from Saigon in the north

to “the Delta” in the south.

“I became the armorer for the unit

because that was what they needed,”

said Woods. “Being tasked to be the

armorer probably saved my life.”

“Being tasked to be the armorer

probably saved my life.”

Woods’ tour in Vietnam ended in

February 1971—one month shy of a

year. Upon his return to the United

States, he transferred from the Active

Army into the Army Reserve, where he

has been ever since with the exception of

a three-year break from 1974 –1977.

In between training with his Army

Reserve unit, Woods found time to

attend college, where he eventually

earned Bachelors’ degrees in Molecular

Biology and Biological Chemistry.

Currently, he works with the U.S.

Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) 

as a medical researcher at a VA hospital.

“I do mostly bench work researching

mutating viruses,” said Woods. “My

group’s primary focus is researching

Hepatitis C.”

Woods’ unit is the 351st Civil Affairs

Command (CACOM) based in Mountainview, California, which also is where he

makes his home. He, along with his

fellow Soldiers from the 351st, has

been tasked with augmenting the 425th

Civil Affairs Battalion, which 

currently is attached to Task Force 

1st Armored Division.

Now that he has come full circle and

returned to the 1st Armored Division

after more than 35 years, Woods works

in the Tactical Operations Center as the

liaison between the various civil affairs

teams attached to the Division and the

division-level civil-military affairs office.

“I’m the guy who answers the phone 

at the desk,” said Woods with a laugh,

reflecting on the differences between

what he is doing now in a war zone 

and what he did more than 30 years 

ago in Vietnam.

UNEXPECTED REUNION IN KUWAIT

GIVES ARMY RESERVE SOLDIER

AN “EARFUL” OF MEMORIES

When Staff Sgt. Dennis Piatt was mobilized with the 243rd Quartermaster

Battalion from Parsons, Kansas, and

deployed to Kuwait for service in

Operation Iraqi Freedom, he didn’t

expect to encounter the Naval Corpsman

who stitched his ear back together 30

years ago.

“In our camp meetings, I heard the

name Sorensen being mentioned, so I

related my story and described the guy

who had sewn up my ear,” said Piatt.

“Another Soldier who was attending

the meetings said, ‘That sounds just

like him.’ So, I went to the next

meeting and sure enough, there was

‘Doc’ Sorensen.”

“I was surprised,” said Capt. Robert

Sorensen, 2nd Fleet Support Group,

U.S. Navy. “I didn’t make the connection immediately. His face looked

vaguely familiar. However, once we

matched notes, it was him.”

“I guess I was surprised too at seeing

him in an Army uniform instead of a

Marine uniform,” added Sorensen.

“I wanted to just give him a hug,” added

Piatt. “But I looked up and saw the ‘birds’

on his shoulders, so we just shook hands.”

“I just wanted to give him a

hug. But I looked up and saw

the ‘birds’ on his shoulders,

so we just shook hands.”

A few evenings later, Piatt and Sorensen

shared a dinner and caught up on developments in each other’s lives. It all began

when Piatt was serving in the U.S. Marine

Corps (1972–1979) on a pitch-black night

under triple canopy in the Philippines. In

1974, his unit, assigned to the Third

Marine Division, was conducting JES

(Jungle, Environmental and Survival)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Piatt of the 243rd Quartermaster Battalion, an Army Reserve unit from Parsons, Kan. 

Master Sgt. Maurice Woods of the 351st Civil Affairs

Brigade, an Army Reserve unit from Mountainview, Calif. 

PEOPLE

PHOTO: STAFF SGT. TONY SAILER, 1ST ARMORED DIVISION PAO

PEOPLE

PHOTO: MASTER SGT. JACK GORDON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS ACQUISITION TEAM, U.S. ARMY RESERVE COMMAND
PEOPLE

POSTAL UNIT SOLDIER

AWARDED BRONZE STAR

Sgt. Travis Duarte, a personnel administration specialist with the 342nd Postal

Company, an Army Reserve unit from

Rome, Georgia, has been awarded the

Bronze Star for Valor for his actions

during an ambush on his convoy in Iraq.

Working at the Joint Military Mail

Terminal located at the Baghdad

International Airport, Duarte, then a

specialist, was part of a two-vehicle

convoy reconnoitering a new mail

delivery route to a camp near the

ancient city of Babylon. Shortly after

pulling onto a major highway near

Baghdad, Duarte’s vehicle was hit 

by a barrage of bullets, one of which

instantly killed the driver of the

vehicle, an employee of defense contractor KBR. The other vehicle escaped

and was out of communications range

until after the ambush.

Realizing the vulnerability of the other

three passengers in his vehicle, Duarte

exited the vehicle before it crashed over

a berm and into a wall. He immediately

began firing back at the suspected

enemy location with his squad automatic weapon while the other Soldiers

reached safety behind the overturned

vehicle. Were it not for his actions,

Duarte’s fellow passengers very likely

would have been killed. Instead, all

except the driver of the vehicle got out

of the ambush alive.

Under the continuing threat of fire, the

Soldiers collected the body of the driver

and headed down the highway until they

were outside of a military compound,

where they were spotted by American

military police and brought inside.

Soon after the incident, Duarte returned

to the mail terminal. He was promoted

to sergeant late last year and is scheduled to deploy home with his unit some

time this year. 

Volume 50, Number 2 ★ 45

IRAQI JUVENILES LEARN PROSE

FROM AN ARMY RESERVE PRO

Some military lawyers work hard at

putting people behind bars. However,

Capt. David Seiter is not your typical

military lawyer. Since early last year,

Seiter, an attorney in his civilian life

with a firm in Indianapolis, Indiana, has

been helping Iraqi children at orphanages and detention centers throughout

Iraq learn to read.

Assigned to the 800th Military Police

Brigade, Seiter now works for the 16th

Military Brigade and is attached to the

Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)

at the Ministry of Justice in Iraq,

serving as a guardian for female and

male juvenile detainees. In that capacity, he has been working hard to set up

a library for the young detainees by

encouraging his friends in the States

and in Iraq to send him Arabic language books. He also has obtained the

help of the CPA, the Ministry of

Education and a few teachers to turn

his dream into a reality.

“We have more than 100 books now 

that were provided by the CPA, and the

number is growing daily. I’m waiting for

more books from the States,” said Seiter.

“The kids are not really responsible

now because they never had the opportunity to learn anything. I’m hoping to

change all that.”

“The kids are not really

responsible now because

they never had the opportunity to learn anything. I’m

hoping to change all that.”

The library is being housed in a building

renamed the Basil Library after an Iraqi

colonel, who was gunned down in the

“Red Zone” in downtown Baghdad. It is

being organized so that the juveniles can

run the facility themselves, tracking the

books and making sure they are returned.

All of the teachers at the facility hope

Seiter’s plan will be successful because

eventually they also would like to build

a better school. According to Seiter, he

plans to expand his search to include

books that can be used by the teachers,

who currently only teach three hours of

classes each day.

“We are hoping to get more books from

the Ministry of Education, and to

increase the teaching hours to half a

day,” added Seiter. “Learning to read

can only lead to more positive results

for these children.”

44 ★ Army Reserve Magazine

PEOPLE

Capt. David Seiter, assigned to the 800th Military Police Brigade, now works for the 16th Military Brigade and is attached to the Coalition Provincial Authority 

at the Ministry of Justice as guardian for female and male juvenile detainees.

Sgt. Travis Duarte (right), a personnel administration specialist with the 342nd Postal Company, an Army Reserve unit from Rome, Ga., is congratulated by 

Col. Donald Kennedy, the commander of the 3rd Personnel Command, during Duarte’s Bronze Star with Valor award ceremony.

PHOTO: SGT. 1ST CLASS BILL SUTHERLAND, JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER PAO)PHOTO: STAFF SGT. NATE ORME, 3RD PERSONNEL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS NCO
ARMY RESERVE HONOR ROLL

AS OF AUGUST 26, 2004

CSM Edward C. Barnhill

SGT Gregory A. Belanger

CPL Mark A. Bibby

SFC Kelly M. L. Bolor

SPC Roy Buckley

PFC Charles E. Bush, Jr.

CPT Paul J. Cassidy

PFC Thomas D. Caughman

SPC Doron N. Chan

PFC Jonathan M. Cheatham

SSG Thomas W. Christensen

1SG Christopher D. Coffin

SSG Donald N. Davis

SPC Jeremy M. Dimaranan

SSG Richard S. Eaton, Jr.

SGT David T. Friedrich

SPC Luke P. Frist

SPC Nichole M. Frye

SFC Dan H. Gabrielson

SGT David J. Goldberg

PFC Gregory R. Goodrich

SPC David E. Hall

SGT James W. Harlan

SGT Kenneth W. Harris, Jr.

SFC David A. Hartman

SSG Stephen C. Hattamer

SPC Julie R. Hickey

PFC Bert E. Hoyer

SGT Eric R. Hull

SPC Joseph A. Jeffries

LTC Paul W. Kimbrough

SPC Adam G. Kinser

SSG Charles A. Kiser

SGT Elmer C. Krause

SSG Mark A. Lawton

SFC Curtis Mancini

SSG Stephen G. Martin

SGT Arthur S. Mastrapa

SGT Melvin Y. Mora

SSG James D. Mowris

SGT Rodney A. Murray

SPC Paul T. Nakamura

SPC Charles L. Neeley

SGT Jaror C. Puello-Coronado

SPC Ramon Reyes-Torres

SGT Lawrence A. Roukey

SSG Camero B. Sarno

SGT Danton K. Seitsinger

LTC Anthony L. Sherman

SGT Jarret B. Thompson

SPC Brandon Tobler

SGT Nicholas A. Tomko

SPC Juan M. Torres

We memorialize these Soldiers’ lives 

by the actions we take as leaders.
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