01/31/2002 Entry: ""Retiring the Colors""

Here we are, packed up and ready to move tomorrow. We will be leaving the FOB for our new "home" at Eagle Base. We would all prefer to stay out here at the FOB, but, orders are orders. Right now, we are at the point where we just want to move and get it over with. It is amazing how much stuff we have accummulated over the last 4 and half months. Between the "stuff" we buy here and all of things that our family and friends send us, we all have 25% or more baggage than we started with. Some more than that.

Several of our soldiers will be staying at the FOB for another two weeks or so to finish a course they are taking. The medical section has offered an E.M.T. course to the soldiers. The second class is ongoing, a total of 24 people of the 125 out here will have taken the course. The national registry exam will be given when the second session is complete. It is a nice extra for the guys. Our platoon has 4 soldiers enrolled in the course and they are doing quite well. It is somethinig worthwhile they can add to their civilian resumes.

We are turninig in all of the gear we drew from supply including the Humvee's and related equipment. We will draw new vehicles at Eagle. In about two weeks we will be at 100% and conducting our new mission. One good thing about the change is that it will be a change of pace, and hopefully speed the time up a little bit. We are down to just over two months.

The picture above is a collage of pictures taken during a little ceremony we did to "retire" the colors. In the typical Cavalry tradition, we flew red and white "swallow tail" flags on our vehicle antennas. After the completion of our last mission under the command of FOB Connor, we retired them. The first picture is SFC Dacquel receiving the pennant from the 54 vehicle, SGT Creek. The second picture is SFC Dacquel handing the pennants over to 1SG Wilburn. The third picture is CPT Bolin giving a little speech to the guys. Lastly, is CPT Bolin handing the colors back to me. Though not in any Drill and Ceremonies manual, the ceremony went well.