Commissioned in 1990 at Virginia State University,

The Path so Far. . .

Commissioned in 1990 at Virginia State University, through the Department of Military Science. These pictures taken at Virginia Hall.

Back row (L-R) Phil Chambers, X,X, Elliot Galloway, Kenneth Tucker, X,X,
Third Row - ?sharp?, Victor Oliver, Willis Madden, Jamal Wigglesworth, Sharp
Second Row - Michelle Bailey, Wanda Young, Don Edwards, X,X, Kimberly Washington
First Row- ??, LTC Chambers, LTC Catchings (PMS)

Active duty in 91 started Aviation Officer Basic Course, a 3 phase course with the first and last phases being OBC, and the middle phase being Flight School. This course is located at Ft Rucker, AL, home of Army Aviation. When I attended flight school, we learned basic skills on the UH-1V (Huey) and then branched out into one of the 3 'tracks' - Scout, Gun, or Utility. Which did I get?? SCOUTS OUT!!!!

PICTURED BELOW
TOP - Stokes, Bass, Murphy, Franco, Madden

Standing - Brophy, Mobly, Holt, Richards, Humphries, McEldowny, Levine, Curtis Offenberger, Kennedy, Woodberry, Wendt

8-Ball Flight, AUG 91, Call sign - Cutter

Front - Bell, Sutter, West, Griffin, Wiese, Bingham

4th Squadron		9th Cavalry

Reported in to the 4th Squadron 9th Cavalry (Air), and assigned as the Scout Platoon leader of Charlie Troop in 1992 at Ft Wainwright (near Fairbanks) Alaska. As the only black officer in the Aviation Brigade at the time, I was a TRUE Buffalo Soldier in the 9th Cav. CPT John Murray was the CDR of C Troop. Also served as the Flight Operations Officer (S-3). In 1994, the Squadron (as part of the Division) was deactivated, and went down to 1 Troop assigned to the BDE that would be left in Alaska. That Troop would be a ground troop which was not in existence at the time. The CDR, (CPT Sharpless) Supply SGT and myself (as the executive officer or XO) were all that existed of the Troop. We had to build it from the ground up, to include getting personnel, training, facilities, and equipment!! The Alpha Troop, 4th of the 9th was a HMMWV (light) ground troop, with mounted .50 CAL Machine Guns, and MK19 Grenade launchers. While in Alaska I attended Arctic Light Infantry Training (ALIT) and the Air Force Arctic Survival Training Course - S-V87-A PDS: V8E, at DET 1, 363th CCTW, Arctic Survival Training School at Eilson AFB.

The latter part of 1994 again finds me at Ft Rucker, this time for Aviation Officer Advanced Course, Class 95-1. At this time the army was moving away from the Vietnam Era Aircraft which most of us were flying. Many in my class tried to get a transition into a modern aircraft, but the timing (money wise) was bad. Guys couldn't even get Air-Assault slots!!!

After finishing at Rucker, I was sent to Ft Hood Texas. I didn't want to go there, (I wanted to go to Bragg) but I ended up loving it there!! Hi to all the folks at Grace Christian Center!!

I was assigned to I company, 158th Aviation Regt (AVIM), whose Commander was MAJ Robert Sewall. It was an aviation maintenance company which served as a Corps Level AVIM, serving as a passback AVIM for 1ST CAV Div, and 2nd Armor Div., as well as being the primary for the 6th Cavalry BDE. I served as the Supply Support Activity Platoon Leader, and then as the XO. The company was part of the Special Troops Battalion (STB) of the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM) in the III CORP.

When the company was deactivated, I landed a job with the 615th Aviation Support Battalion as the Operations Officer or the S-3. There I worked for the Best Battalion Commander I have had during my time in the service, LTC Lovett. Alas, my great assignment would be shortened by the COSCOM, who realized that the were short Aviation Maintenance Officers (AMO), and pulled my orders and yanked me back into the COSCOM.

There I worked as an Aviation Maintenance Officer with the 4th Material Management Center (4th MMC) for the Corps. Another job I was not looking forward to (would rather be an S-3 in the 1st CAV) but again it turned out to be a great job. Our cell, CPT Robert Peden, CPT Ron Huggins and me, worked with the AVN BDE's within the entire Corps to ensure the readiness of the Corps Aviation fleet. I had been medically grounded from flight in 95, but had been trying to get back up on status. The time to decide wheter to keep trying and possibly miss a command, or 'cut the load' and go to another branch, so I branch transfered to Transportation branch.

PCS time in JAN of 98, and we move to Ft Benning, GA, to work with the 13th Corps Support Battalion, supporting Ft Benning and the 3rd BDE of 3rd ID. There I worked as the Battalion S-4, until I took command of the 104th Transportation company.

	104th Trans was a great unit, it was not your usual medium truck company. We were augmented with 2 extra platoons usually found in seperate companies. In addition to the 3 platoons of M932 medium trucks and flatbed trailers, we had a platoon of Heavy Equipment Transport Trucks (HETTS) used to transport Tanks, Dozers and other heavy vehicles around the battlefield. The 361st Trailer Transfer Detachment was also attached to us. The 361st TTD was a small platoon sized element capable of establishing and maintaining a trailer transfer point for Corps operations. That platoon was small, but highly deployable, and effective.

After Command, I attended the Army's "mini masters" in operations research, ORSA-MAC. Finishing that school, I was branded as an analyst, and PCS'ed to my current station. The United States Recruiting Command is like no other job I've had in the Army. I had to learn a completely new language, different from the 'operational' language I knew up to this point. Some of the same acronyms mean totally different things here. This position has shown me a great deal as to how the Army works at higher levels, and I would recommend the Recruiting Command if you are offered it as a choice from your branch manager.

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