1BCT, 1st Cavalry Division OIF 09-10

When the brigade returned from OIF 09-10, I remember a lot of Officer Calls at the O-Club on Fort Hood. For the first time since 2004, we were not on the patch chart to return to Iraq in 12 months. This was my third consecutive tour to Iraq, having served in 1-7 CAV as a Scout Platoon Leader in Apache Troop (RTE IRISH Security), then Support Platoon Leader for the Squadron (OIF 04-05). After OIF 04-05, I went to school at Fort Huachuca to become a MI officer and returned to Ft. Hood to 1BCT and became the BN S2 for 2-8 CAV. As the S2 for the battalion, we deployed again to Iraq for OIF 06-08. Upon returning to Fort Hood in 2008, I became the MI Company Commander for 1st BCT and we deployed to Iraq again, for OIF 09-10. I remember a lot of Officer Calls after 09-10- which was a good thing because we enjoyed the company of the officers and NCOs we had come to know over many deployments. From being a Tank Platoon Leader in 3-8 CAV, to being a PL in 1-7 CAV, then the S-2 for 2-8 CAV and finally the MICO Commander for 1BCT- this coin represents the culmination of several years of training and deployments with 1st CAV- but more importantly the tight circle of people I had grown to know and admire. Mandy and Mike Doyle, Cam Smith, Rob Stigers, Rudy, Dave Fulton, 1SG McNeil (ONE EACH!), Scott Efflandt, Todd Fox, Luke Calhoun- and countless more- all the people who burdened back to back to back deployments in service to our great country.