1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Company B Soldier Earns NCO of the Year

MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION – BAGHDAD

Media Release
HQ-MND Baghdad
Camp Liberty
Baghdad, Iraq
APO AE 09344
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20081217-10 December 17, 2008

1st BCT’s exceptional NCOs, Soldiers compete for top honors

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bobb, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
Multi-National Division – Baghdad, congratulates the "Raider" Brigade 2008 Soldier of the Year Dec. 15 at Forward Operating Base Falcon,
in southern Baghdad. Spc. Ian Vertefeuille, an X-Ray lab technician from Spokane, Wash., assigned to Company C, 4th Support Battalion,
1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., performed the best during the "hands-on" portion of the competition and aced the military board Dec. 14-15
in the competition to pick the Raider Brigade's best Soldier and noncommissioned officer.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B)

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division,
Multi-National Division – Baghdad, called for its best Soldiers and junior sergeants to showcase their tactical and
technical proficiency in a test to be called the “Raider” Brigade’s 2008 Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
Dec. 14-15 at Forward Operating Base Falcon.

Following a military board, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bobb, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., announced Spc. Ian Vertefeuille
and Staff Sgt. Travis Coley as the 1st BCT 2008 Soldier and NCO of the Year.

1BCT NCO of the Year -

SSG Travis Coley

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq —
Staff Sgt. Travis Coley, an infantry squad leader,
assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad,
clears an M2 .50-caliber Browning machine gun
during the "hands-on" testing for the
1st "Raider" Brigade's 2008 Noncommissioned Officer
and Soldiers of the Year Competition Dec. 14
in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district.
Coley beat out three NCOs to take the competition
based on the "Total Soldier Concept,"
held at Forward Operating Base Falcon
in southern Baghdad.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Hodge,
1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B

Coley, an infantry squad leader, and Vertefeuille, a lab technician at the Cobra Medical Clinic on FOB Falcon,
excelled during the two-day competition against their peers, outscoring six other candidates during several events
designed to test their combat proficiency and general military knowledge, said Bobb.

The 1st BCT’s command sergeants major and senior leaders reached across combat outposts and joint security stations
in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad to convene the contest for more than 3,800 Soldiers and NCOs of the 1st BCT,
culminating with one final board to test the overall military bearing and knowledge for the competitors, said Sgt. Maj. Ronald Smiley,
operations sergeant major, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

Based on the “Total Soldier Concept,” the two-day event began with pre-combat checks and inspections before a trip
to the Engagement Skills Trainer, where Soldiers put their muscle memory to the test during a reflexive fire simulation,
said Smiley, who organized the contest.

The hands-on portion of the competition involved a series of tactical combat-related tasks that included first aid,
weapons proficiency and marksmanship; if culminated with a mystery event – a written examination to test the Soldier’s
general military knowledge. The winners of the competition earned the right to represent the Raider Brigade at the
2008 4th Inf. Div.’s Soldier and NCO of the Year competition to be held Thursday at Camp Liberty, said Smiley,
who hails from Lake Village, Ark.

Coley, assigned to Company B, 1st “Regulars” Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div.,
said he credits his success to his NCOs and senior leaders in his unit, who coached and mentored him in preparation
for the competition. “I think this will be great for (1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt.); it’s a great unit with an amazing sergeant major,”
Coley said. “The whole time I have been here he has been challenging me as an NCO providing me with NCO Professional Development.”
Coley told the members of the board that he should be selected to become the Raider Brigade’s NCO of the Year
because immediately following the competition, he was returning to his Soldiers and his combat mission.
“I’m doing it for all those guys who are on patrol constantly that are ‘boots on the ground’ that don’t have a lot of time
but have a lot of heart,” said Coley, who hails from Hickory, N.C.

The Soldiers and NCOs won their battalion’s monthly, quarterly and annual competition to earn a chance to compete at the
brigade level, which can be a challenge for combat Soldiers who must focus on the mission in a combat zone or are engaged
in guard duty at their patrol bases, said Coley. “It means a great deal to me to win this, especially for all the other ‘Regulars’
that are back on COPs and JSSs throughout Baghdad,” he said.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — Staff Sgt. Travis Coley (left) an infantryman from Hickory, N.C.,
assigned to 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment; Sgt. Windy Klein, a combat medic from Westmoreland, Kan., 4th Support Bn.;
Sgt. Christopher Watkins, a cavalry scout from Bosnall, Calif., 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regt.; and Sgt. Matthew Gordon,
a human intelligence collector from Grand Rapids, Mich., assigned to 1st Special Troops Bn., compete at the
Engagement Skills Trainer on Forward Operating Base Falcon Dec. 14 during the 2008 1st "Raider" Brigade's Soldier
and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Competition.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B)

The biggest part to preparing for competition is building self-confidence and not quitting, said Vertefeuille, Raider Brigade’s
2008 Soldier of the Year. “This is a great opportunity,” said Vertefeuille, a native of Spokane, Wash., assigned to Co. C,
4th “Packhorse” Support Battalion, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., “and I think everybody should be given the chance to be recognized
and stand out amongst their peers.”

Vertefeuille also thanked his chain of command, which he said provided him with the inspiration to compete and the desire
to be the best Soldier in the brigade. Competing in military contests is good professional development for Soldiers looking
to become leaders, said Vertefeuille, who added he will impart the gained experience onto his Soldiers.

“It is constant guidance, mentorship and being there with the Soldiers; we keep them informed on everything,”
said 1st Sgt. Rakimm Broadnax-Rogers, a native of Montgomery, Ala., the senior enlisted leader of the Cobra Troop Medical Clinic,
Co. C, 4th Supt. Bn. “For the purpose of the board, all the basic knowledge and everything else, we involve the Soldiers in
our NCOPD program … there is no discriminating factor whether Soldiers are practicing in a board or not. We test their
daily knowledge on a daily basis, and that is what it is all about.”

The Soldiers who stepped up to the challenge during the competition were: Spc. Jamal Tmatk, a combat engineer from Koror, Palau,
assigned to Co. E, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt.; Spc. Lukas Rybak, a cavalry scout from Brooklyn, N.Y., assigned to Troop C,
and Sgt. Christopher Watkins, a cavalry scout from Bosnall, Calif., assigned to Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regt.;
Sgt. Windy Klein, a combat medic from Westmoreland, Kan., and Spc. Ian Vertefeuille, an X-Ray lab technician from Spokane, Wash.,
assigned to Co. C, 4th Support Bn.; and Spc. Michael Perez, a human intelligence analyst from Austin, Texas, Staff Sgt. Travis Coley,
from Hickory, N.C., an infantry squad leader assigned to Company B, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt., and Sgt. Matthew Gordon,
a human intelligence collector from Grand Rapids, Mich.; assigned to Co. A, 1st Special Troops Bn.

The winners of the competition were presented a U.S. Army Commendation Medal and various Raider Brigade paraphernalia,
to include a utility tool and thermal blanket and a portable video game. Each participating Soldier was also presented a
Certificate of Achievement and a Raider Brigade Coin.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Spc. Jamal Tmatk, a combat engineer assigned to Company E,
1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, performs a casualty evaluation during the Raider Brigade’s 2008 Soldier of the Year competition
held Dec. 14 in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. Tmatk, who hails from Koror, Palau, is part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team,
4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. Eight Soldiers competed in the 1st “Raider” Brigade’s inaugural
Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year Competition, a two-day event held at Forward Operating Base Falcon.

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams, 1st BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B)