Let's Not Joke About Ebulla

This past weekend, U.S. military officials announced that the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division headquarters, along with hundreds of other National Guard and Army Reserve units from across the nation, were no longer slated to deploy to the West African nation of Liberia this spring. This essay was written prior to that announcement.

Sgt. 1st Class Katz is preparing to go to Africa. It'll be her fourth deployment. The Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division headquarters has been alerted for the Ebola-response mission to Liberia. The mission is called "Operation United Assistance." I tell her it'll be a good mission—a good story. She tells me something she remembers me saying once, regarding going to Afghanistan with the division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2-34th BCT).

"You said something about how everything kind of fell into place, for both you and the unit," she says. "How the Red Bull boasted the longest-deployed units to Iraq ... the largest deployment of Iowans since World War II ... one of only three National Guard brigades to own battle space in Afghanistan ... This might be the only time anyone would ever see something like this."

In typical sentiment, Katz says she doesn't want to go, but also that she wants to go. I understand the push-pull, topsy-turvy, mixed feelings about pending deployments. It's heady stuff, being called up to help change the world. Citizen-soldiers get to see history in the making. It's also a burden, however. Family and friends worry. Life and job get interrupted. Embrace the suck.

"Still," I remember my father saying once or twice, "it has a certain appeal ..."

I remember Papa Sherpa coming off a U.S. Air Force Reserve rotation to Operation Desert Shield. Soon after, he put in his retirement papers. He had started his active-duty military career during the Vietnam War, as a navigator on a C-130 Hercules, flying tactical airlift missions. After a variety of other platforms and missions, he ended his career in the same way.

After his paperwork had already been filed, however, the military mission to Somalia popped up. At the time, I was relatively new to the service, and was wearing Army greens. Off at months of Army training, I'd missed the war in Kuwait. That was on my mind when I asked Dad if he regretted putting in his papers, and potentially watching his former colleagues lift off without him. "You know," he said, "this might have been one to miss ..."

"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again." The same Army officer who once tagged me with the "Sherpa" nickname was the one who recommended that I watch the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, while we were both deployed to a peacekeeping mission to the Sinai Peninsula. From that science-fiction program, I first learned the mantra of the eternal return: "All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

Of all the lessons I learned in the Army, that phrase explains the most.

After I graduated, I swore that I'd never come back to Iowa, but I did. I returned to Iowa after Army communications school, and joined the Iowa Army National Guard. I worked a couple of community and metro newspaper jobs, and made the jump to trade magazines by the mid-1990s.

My first editorship? I kid you not: It was a trade magazine for managers of corporate, hospitality, healthcare, institutional facilities and campuses. The now-defunct publication was was called—again, I am not making this up—"Maintenance Executive."

How's that for high-falutin'?

My interest in writing about best-practices and lessons-learned stems from that experience. Twenty years ago, I was writing about the threats of Ebola, as well as other emergent diseases, on behalf of those professionals most likely to clean it up. In one memorable columnist's portrait, I was photographed wearing a suit and tie and my M17A2 protective mask. I'd borrowed the latter from my locker at the National Guard armory.

For magazine cover-story, I interviewed Richard Preston, author of the non-fiction book "The Hot Zone." Preston tells stories of three strains of Ebola, each named after the place of its discovery: Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Reston (Va.). My family and friends took to naming the seasonal flu after the person who'd first discovered it: Ebola Jeff, Ebola Scott, Ebola Sherpa ...

Hilarious, no? I kill me.

So, Katz is off to war again. And Ebola doesn't look like as much of a joke as it was when I was young and immortal. But the Red Bull is, once again, present at the fulcrum of history. People like Katz don't want to go, but they don't want to stay at home, either. This will be the first time I'll see a Red Bull friend of mine move out smartly, post-Afghanistan.

It's not a war, but neither is it business as usual. The Red Bull is again on the attack.

Two thoughts haunt my hours:

"This one might have been one to miss."

"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."

Red Bull Round-up: 'While We Were Out ...'

Happy New Year! Like you, we're busy getting back into the swing of things: putting away holiday decorations, getting the kids back to school, clearing off the desk, and resolving to get back to work.

Meanwhile, here are a few notes from news that occurred over the holidays:

'GO FOR BROKE' ON ROSE PARADE FLOAT: World War II veterans of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, Japanese-American veterans who at one point fought in Italy while assigned to the U.S. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, were honored while riding a float at this year's Rose Parade. The veterans weathered near-freezing temperatures during the parade. The float was sponsored by the city of Alhambra, Calif. For YouTube video, click here.

THE 'RED BULL' WINTERS OVER IN JAPAN: Members of Bravo Company, 100th Battalion/442nd RCT Reenactment Group, who study and demonstrate what life was like for 34th Inf. "Red Bull" Div. soldiers while fighting in World War II Italy, conducted their annual winter camp on Jan. 2-3 in Shizuoka, Japan. For photos, click here and here.

NEW BOOK BY DOCTRINE MAN!!: At his mil-blog "The Pendulum", the ever-snarky Doctrine Man!! posted an annotated Year in Review. He also released his third collection of military-themed cartoons, titled "Fifty Shades of Multicam", available through Amazon here.

NEW 34th INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION CHAPTER: The "First Minnesota" chapter of the 34th Infantry Division Association was recently granted charter. There's a Facebook page for the new organization here. The lineage of the "First Minnesota"—named after a unit of Minnesota volunteers during the American Civil War—is maintained by the modern Minnesota National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (2-135th Inf.), headquartered in Mankato.

'WOMAN VETERAN' LICENSE PLATES AVAILABLE IN MINNESOTA: Minnesota vehicle license plates inscribed with the words "woman veteran" are now available. The design features an American flag, and a silhouette of a female service member against an outlined state of Minnesota. Applicants for the plates should bring copies of a DD-214 or other discharge papers as proof of their service.

WRITER-VETERAN REPORTS FROM LIBERIA: Brian Castner, author of "The Long Walk: A Story of War and the Life That Follows," recently filed a New Year's report from the African nation of Liberia, where U.S. military forces are assisting in efforts to control Ebola. Members of the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Inf. Div. headquarters, as well as other National Guard units nationwide, are slated to deploy to the "Operation United Assistance" mission there later this spring.

OH, YEAH ... WE ALMOST FORGOT: WAR ENDS IN AFGHANISTAN. Maj. Gen. John Campbell, current commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, cased the colors of the International Security Assistance Force ("ISAF") mission there on Dec. 28. The "non-combat" mission there is now called "Resolute Support."

Readers of the Red Bull Rising blog may remember that Campbell was previously the commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to which the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Inf. Div. (2-34th BCT) was assigned during its 2010-2011 deployment to Afghanistan.

Iowa's 34th Army Band to be Honored for WWII Service

Based on an Iowa National Guard news release dated Dec. 6, 2014:

The Iowa National Guard's 34th Army Band, based in Fairfield, Iowa, will be presented the Croix de Guerre with Palm, a battle streamer the unit earned during its campaigns of World War II but was never formally awarded. The oversight was recently discovered during a routine review of the unit’s lineage and honors.

The presentation will be held on Sat., Dec. 13, beginning at 2 p.m., at the Iowa Army National Guard Armory, 1501 W. Stone Ave., Fairfield, Iowa. The award ceremony will be followed by a community concert by four of the 34th Army Band’s Music Performance Teams. Members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend this event.

The French Croix de Guerre with Palm is a division-level award instituted on April 8, 1915 by the French government to recognize acts of bravery in the face of the enemy. The 34th Army Band originally received the award under Decision No. 843, on June 21, 1945 by the president of the provisional government of the French Republic, with the following citation:

"An elite Division, whose loyal and efficient cooperation with the French divisions, which begun in Tunisia, was gloriously continued throughout the Italian campaign. During the operations of Belvedere, the 34th Infantry Division, despite the difficulties of the moment, displayed the most courageous actions in support of the operations of the 3rd Algerian Division."

During action in World War II, the band fought in campaigns at Tunisia (North Africa), Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley (Italy).

Minnesota's 34th Inf. Div. Band

Today, there are two bands that trace lineage through the history of the U.S. 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division. One is a Minnesota National Guard Unit: The 34th Inf. Div. Band, headquartered in Rosemount, Minn.

The division band traces its lineage to the 1st Infantry Band, (Minnesota National Guard) organized in April 30, 1900. The unit was redesignated the 135th Infantry Band in 1917 for federal service in World War I as part of the 34th Infantry Division.

The 135th was activated in 1941 for service in WWII. The 135th Infantry Band arrived in Ireland in 1942 and earned the distinction of being the first U.S. band to play in the European Theater of Operations.

Iowa's 34th Army Band

The other "Red Bull" legacy band unit is the Iowa National Guard's 34th Army Band, headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa.

Concurrent to the 135th in World War II, the 133rd Infantry Band (Iowa Army National Guard) was deployed to Africa and Italy as part of the 34th Infantry Division. The 133rd earned the distinction of landing with the first contingent of U.S. troops in early 1942 as a part of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and became known as the "Oldest Band" in the European Theater of Operations.

On Jan. 1, 1944 the 135th Infantry Band (Minnesota Army National Guard) was combined with the 133rd Infantry Band (Iowa Army National Guard) to create the 34th Infantry Division Band.

An official webpage about the Iowa National Guard band unit is here.

An official Facebook page for the Iowa band organization is here.

An official webpage about the Minnesota National Guard band unit is here.

An official webpage about the Minnesota band organization is here.

Successful Wargame Leads to 'Red Bull' Deployment

Minnesota Army National Guard Col. Mike Wickman, the chief-of-staff for the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, says the headquarters' pending 2015 deployment to an Ebola-response mission in West Africa is the result of unit readiness, timing within the Army force-generation cycle ("ARFORGEN"), and an exemplary performance at last summer's Warfighter Exercise at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Wickman made his comments during an interview with Minnesota Military Radio Hour released Nov. 30. The weekly show is a privately syndicated program produced by Today's Business Radio, Minneapolis.

As part of Operation United Assistance, the 34th Inf. Div. headquarters will next spring replace the active-duty Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—the "Screaming Eagles." The 34th Inf. Div. commander, Maj. Gen. Neal Loidolt, will lead the mission.

"The 34th 'Red Bull' Inf. Div. is a proven, versatile, and capable force," said Wickman, the officer in charge of coordinating the headquarters staff functions. "It's prepared to lead military forces during this humanitarian mission, just as we've done in previous peacekeeping and warfighting missions—Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq. We train to the exact standard of the Active Component, and we're in the Army Force Generation cycle to be ready for potential deployments, and have recently successfully completed an Army Warfighter evaluation exercise."

Wickman told radio host Tom Lyons that the unit of 700 Minnesota citizen-soldiers is anticipated to mobilize and deploy around March or April 2015, and to deploy for roughly six months. The division's mission of "provide command and control to subordinate units" will remain unchanged, although specifics remain to be determined. Deployed soldiers will not be providing medical care directly to Ebola patients, Wickman said.

"Along with the standard deployment training that we'll receive, we'll also be receiving a great deal of mobilization medical training that will prepare us specifically for any of the environmental hazards that we expect to face," said Wickman. "[...] Not only will we receive very specific medical training to prepare us for the environmental conditions, but we'll get all the equipment we'll need to provide protection, and to avoid the risks we could face while we're overseas."

This past summer's Warfighter exercise was billed as the largest-ever of its kind, calcuated by number of participating units. The training event involved approximately 2,500 soldiers, comprising more than 20 units from 14 states, including National Guard units from California, Colorado, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming. Army Reserve units from California and Colorado also participated, as did and active Army units from Fort Sill, Okla. and Fort Riley, Kansas.

Analysis: Photos Offer Clues to Guard's Ebola Mission

Footprint outlines mark the floor in the doffing station Nov. 4, 2014, where medical 

workers at the Monrovia Medical Unit will decontaminate and take off their personal 

protective equipment after working in the high-risk zone where suspected and infected 

Ebola patients are cared for. PHOTO: Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Hoskins, Joint Forces 

Command–United Assistance Public Affairs/RELEASED

News releases and photography by 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) public affairs soldiers describe and depict potential working environments for the 80 citizen-soldiers of the Iowa National Guard's 294th Area Support Medical Company (294th A.S.M.C.), Washington, Iowa, which was notified earlier this week of a possible spring 2015 deployment to Liberia.

More generally, the reports also help put into context the mobilization of 2,100 citizen-soldiers nationwide for Operation United Assistance, a mission supporting the containment of Ebola virus in West Africa. That mobilization includes the headquarters for the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, based in Rosemount, Minn., which will replace the 101st Abn. Div. in country.

Footprint outlines designate where medical
personnel will stand when doffing protective
equipment after caring for patients suspected
of Ebola infection. PHOTO: Sgt. 1st Class
Nathan Hoskins, Joint Forces Command—United
Assistance Public Affairs/RELEASED

The deployments are anticipated to last approximately 6 months, and will include 21-days of medical observation upon return from active-duty.

Normally, for purposes of operational security, deployed Army photographers are trained to crop in tight and focus on people, which limits visual details about the surrounding environment or area of operations. The focus of recent Army images and messages, however, has been on increasing the global public's confidence in the medical facilities, personnel, and resources being put on the ground.

In their respective news releases, for example, Iowa and Minnesota National Guard spokespersons took pains to emphasize that National Guard personnel would not be treating residents of West African nations. Specifically, the Iowa medical unit would provide administration and care to U.S. and coalition medical workers who themselves may have contracted Ebola, in a setting such as the one-of-a-kind 25-bed "Monrovia Medical Unit" (M.M.U.) described in the Army news release printed in its entirety below.

The 12-tent facility features an open-air reception area, a low-risk zone for medical support and healthcare workers, and specified areas for treating "suspected" and "confirmed" Ebola cases.

As noted in the boilerplate captions for the photo series:

The 25-bed MMU is a unique [Ebola Treatment Unit (E.T.U.)] built specifically to care for medical workers who have become infected with Ebola while treating patients. United Assistance is a Department of Defense operation to provide logistics, training and engineering support to U.S. Agency for International Development-led efforts to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in West African nations.

U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Deborah Malac, left, and Liberian President Ellen 

Johnston Sirleaf, right, during recent visit for the ceremonial opening for the 

Monrovia Medical Unit (M.M.U.) PHOTO: Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Hoskins, 

Joint Forces Command–United Assistance Public Affairs/RELEASED

Recent Army news coverage has also featured photography of the Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Deborah Malac, who toured the Monrovia Medical Unit prior to its being placed into service.

The country of Liberia has its roots in American history. Starting in 1820, the country was colonized by freed slaves. The Republic of Liberia was established in 1847. Its capital Monrovia, takes its name from the James Monroe, the fifth U.S. president. The country's red-and-white-striped flag is also a persistent symbol of the historical connections between the United States and Liberia.

*****

Panoramic photo of the recently opened Monrovia Medical Unit, located 30 miles outside the Liberian capital. PHOTO: Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Hoskins, Joint Forces Command–United Assistance Public Affairs/RELEASED

EBOLA TREATMENT UNIT FOR MEDICAL WORKERS TO OPEN
By Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Hoskins
Headquarters, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Released Nov. 5, 2014

MONROVIA, Liberia—The Monrovia Medical Unit (M.M.U.), an Ebola treatment unit constructed specifically for the treatment of medical workers who were infected while caring for Ebola patients, is scheduled to open Nov. 8, located about 30 miles outside Monrovia, Liberia.

"The Monrovia Medical Unit, otherwise known as an MMU, is different than an Ebola treatment unit—E.T.U.—because our main purpose is to give hope to doctors and nurses as we will be treating any suspected or infected cases that happen around West Africa," said U.S. Public Health Service Lt. Shane Deckert, the MMU facility engineer.

No other facility like this exists, said Lt. Col. Lee Hicks, the Joint Forces Command–United Assistance command engineer.

"If an aide worker gets sick, they bring them to the MMU to get taken care of by the U.S. Public Health Service," said Hicks. "It’s an incentive for health care workers to go work in an ETU, knowing that if they get sick, they’ll be taken care of."

The 25-bed facility was constructed from the ground up by a team of Navy Seabees, soldiers and airmen from Joint Forces Command—United Assistance and will be operated by personnel from the U.S. Public Health Service, said hicks.

Before arriving to Liberia to help construct and run the MMU, medical personnel from the [U.S. Public Health Service (U.S.P.H.S.)], contacted other treatment facilities to compile and absorb as much information on best practices for ETUs, said Cmdr. Tom Janisko, a physician’s assistant with USPHS who will be working in preventative medicine there.

Once on the ground in Liberia, the USPHS team trained extensively before doing rounds at an active ETU, he said.

The MMU compound is separated into two—one side is the low-risk zone for medical workers and support staff; the other side is the high-risk zone for suspected and infected patients, he said.

The structure is comprised of 12 tents, four that make up an administrative area for staff members and eight that make up three wards for patients and other necessary services, said Deckert.

The administrative tents are where all the behind-the-scenes work happens—the ordering of personal protective gear, scheduling, processing of paperwork, eating meals.

The high-risk zone is where the patients reside and receive treatment. Because of the contagious nature of the disease, the two halves do not connect in any way.

"The most acute ward would be for the patients who have Ebola," said Janisko. This is the confirmed ward.

The other two wards are the suspected and a flex ward that will be used as needed, said Janisko. Patients who are suspected to have Ebola will be cared for in the suspected ward while they wait for their blood tests to come back from the on-site laboratory.

"There’s nothing else like the MMU in Liberia," said Hicks. "It has everything to take care of folks who may have Ebola or do have Ebola and help them recover from that deadly virus. It’s the first time it’s ever been built like this and used in this type of fashion."

Along with the laboratory, there is a pharmacy, behavioral health section, and a patient reception area on the grounds as well, said Janisko. Restrooms and showers are located behind the wards.

The reception area is unlike most in that it is outdoors. The patients speak to their friends and family members through a windowless structure that is six feet away from a similar structure on the other side of the compound’s fence.

Studies have shown that when Ebola is emitted from a patient due to a sneeze or spittle from a cough, it dies before traveling approximately a meter, said Janisko.

The entire fenced-in compound is nearly self-contained, needing only resupply of water, fuel and food, said Deckert. Fuel supplies two large generators that power the electricity and one small generator that powers the perimeter lighting. The water is for cleaning and decontaminating personnel and equipment.

Every detail was thought out, said Deckert. The complex is built on a slope so that any infectious materials or fluids would drain away from the safe zone in case of heavy rainfall.

There’s also an incinerator on site to dispose of used personal protective equipment so that no trace of the virus leaves the compound, said Deckert.

Minnesota, Iowa Soldiers to Deploy to Ebola Mission

More than 700 citizen-soldiers wearing the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division shoulder patch will deploy to support humanitarian relief efforts in Liberia in Spring 2015, according to a Nov. 16 news release from the Minnesota National Guard.

The 6-month mobilization is part of "Operation United Assistance." Members of the Rosemount, Minn-based division will provide command and control of U.S. military forces deployed as part of United States Agency for International Development's (U.S.A.I.D.) efforts to contain outbreaks of Ebola virus in that country.

The announcement comes just days after U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel signed an order authorized the mobilization of 2,100 U.S. National Guard and reserve troops for Operation United Assistance.

"Our mission will be to coordinate all of the Department of Defense resources in Liberia to support USAID and the government of Liberia to contain the Ebola virus, and ultimately save lives," said Army Maj. Gen. Rick Nash, the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard. Nash himself is a former commander of the division.

"And importantly for the Liberian people," Nash continued, "the Minnesota National Guard presence will provide confidence that something can and will be done to stop the spread of disease."

In Iowa, approximately 80 citizen-soldiers of the Washington-based 294th Area Support Medical Company (294th A.S.M.C) have also been notified of possible deployment, according to a Nov. 16 news release from the Iowa National Guard. The unit is part of Iowa's 67th Troop Command, and wear a "Hawkeye" shoulder patch with origins in 34th Inf. Div. history.

According to Iowa National Guard officials, the 294th ASMC provides full-spectrum medical support operations for a designated area of operations, including casualty triage, basic medical treatment and sustainment of life, and transport of injured and sick personnel. The unit will also deploy for six months, during which time it will provide direct patient care to U.S. Department of Defense and coalition personnel only.

In Minnesota, officials are taking similar pains to emphasize that Red Bull soldiers will not treat Ebola patients.

The 34th Inf. Div. headquarters will relieve the Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based 101st Airborne Division, known as the "Screaming Eagle." The Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Inf. Div. (2-34th BCT) served under the 101s Airborne Div. during a 2010-2011 deployment to Afghanistan.

The Red Bull soldiers are anticipated to depart Minnesota in March 2015 for pre-mobilization training before deploying to Monrovia, Liberia in April 2015 to assume command from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (101st Abn. Div.), according to the news release. All troops deploying to West Africa will receive specific medical training—developed in conjunction with U.S. Army Public Health Command—and utilize specialized personal protective equipment to ensure they are protected from exposure.

"Preserving the health of our soldiers is the highest priority for this mission," said Army Maj. Gen. Neal Loidolt, commanding general of the 34th Inf. Div. "Extra steps are being taken to protect the soldiers' health, including personnel protective equipment and educating the soldiers about the diseases prevalent in the area."

"This mission highlights the versatility of the National Guard," said Loidolt. "In addition to being deployed for domestic emergencies in Minnesota, many of these Red Bull soldiers have been deployed for peacekeeping in Bosnia and Kosovo; and warfighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am confident that our citizen-soldiers are up to the task of providing humanitarian aid in Western Africa."

Minnesota's 34th Inf. Div. headquarters previously deployed to Iraq under the command of Maj. Gen. Nash, where the unit provided command and control of Multi-National Division South.

Iowa's 294th ASMC previously deployed in 2009 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where the unit provided full spectrum medical support at the Taji Theater Internment Facility Reintegration Center (T.I.F.R.C.).

A Nov. 16 news release from the National Guard Bureau lists these units to be deployed:

• 34th Infantry Division Headquarters, Minnesota Army National Guard

• 16th Engineer Brigade Headquarters, Ohio Army National Guard

• 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist Detachment), California Army National Guard

• 272nd Engineer Company (Vertical Construction), Texas Army National Guard

• 294th Area Support Medical Company, Iowa Army National Guard

• 891st Engineer Battalion, Kansas Army National Guard

Scenes from a Memorial Motorcycle Ride

More than 250 riders participated in the Third Annual Donny Nichols Memorial Ride and Poker Run, which originated in Shell Rock, Iowa last Saturday morning, Aug. 30.

On a gray Saturday morning alongside a small Iowa river, more than 200 motorcycles and their riders assemble a rolling memorial to U.S. Army Spc. Donny Nichols, killed in action in Eastern Afghanistan in 2011. There are hugs and handshakes, laughs and raffles, drinks and food. There are also still a few tears. And, of course, the more-than-occasional sound of two-piston thunder.

Located along a river with which it shares a name, the town of Shell Rock, Iowa, pop. 1,296, boasts an picturesque downtown. The main drag is a few blocks of brick storefronts, comprising a couple of bars, two hair salons, a daycare, the Solid Rock Baptist Church, and city hall. On this day, both drinking establishments post signs welcoming bikers in for breakfast. The sky is overcast, which, I am told, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fewer sunburns that way, one of the riders says. There is enough wind to wave the flag. Occasionally, the sun knocks though the ceiling. In all, good weather for a memorial event—partly sunny, with dark cloud bunting.

Memorial to Army Spc. Donny
Nichols located at Waverly-
Shell Rock High School,
Waverly, Iowa.

Donny Nichols, 21, was killed April 13, 2011 in Laghman Province, when an improvised mine detonated under the vehicle in which he was traveling. There's a memorial stone to Nichols now, located on the grounds of Waverly-Shell Rock High School, from which he graduated in 2009.

Equally important in maintaining his memory, however, is an annual memorial motorcycle ride and poker run his friends and family run in his name. This year marks the third such event. Each year, the event raises funds for a different patriotic charity or veterans'-related cause. This year, it was Flags for Freedom Outreach, a Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. non-profit that supports and remembers wounded soldiers during recovery and reintegration.

In the pre-ride gathering are two service animals associated last year's fund-raising beneficiary, Retrieving Freedom, Inc., a Mississippi- and Iowa-based non-profit that trains service dogs for use by military veterans. Together with their trainers, yellow Labrador "Valor" and black Labrador "Bender" win hearts and minds while circulating through the crowd.

Registration takes place on a sidewalk outside of The Cooler. ("The HOTTEST place in town," according to a sign.) There, volunteers take registrations, and sell T-shirts, bandanas, and other fund-raising merchandise. They also sell tickets for a "50-50" drawing—the winner takes half, with the remainder going to charity.

The "Forward Operating Booth" of 34th Inf. Div. Assoc., which donated
$5 for every "Red Bull" emblem displayed by passersby.

Across the street, members of the 34th Infantry Division Association are conducting a free raffle for two "Red Bull" division flags. Nichols was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133rd Inf.), which is located in Waterloo, Iowa and part of the 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (34th Inf. Div.).

In 2010-2011, the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Inf. Div. (2-34th B.C.T.) deployed more than 3,000 troops to Afghanistan. News reports noted it was the largest deployment of Iowa soldiers since World War II.

Justin Foote signs a "Red Bull"
flag donated by the 34th Inf.
Div. Assoc. to the family of
Donny Nichols.

At the group's new "Forward Operating Booth," 34th Inf. Div. Assoc. members chat up other "Red Bull" soldiers, past and present. In addition to the flag-raffle, the group donates $5 for every "Red Bull" image—patch, tattoo, membership card, T-shirt, whatever—displayed by ride participants and attendees.

Ashlee Lolkus of Johnston, Iowa, who was a public affairs soldier during the 2010-2011 deployment to Afghanistan, is part of the association's outreach team in Shell Rock. "We're looking for new ways to celebrate our 'Red Bull' history, from WWII North Africa and Italy, to 21st century Afghanistan and Iraq," she says. "Donny's story is part of that tradition, and we're proud to help remember him."

Members of the event's road management team sported high-visibility
T-shirts featuring a "Red Bull" emblem.

Wearing a high-visibility yellow T-shirt with a "Red Bull" on the back, Ken Halter is part of the road management team for the event. The team rides ahead and helps block cross-traffic, when necessary. Halter, who is also a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, was part of the team that helped out with Nichol's funeral procession. "This is just kind of what we do," he says. "Serve the soldier, and the soldier's family."

Local law enforcement officials also help out along parts of Saturday's route, a round-trip that includes stops in Shell Rock, La Porte City, Waverly, and Waterloo.

Emcee J.R. Rogers

Using a microphone and speaking from a sidewalk curb, J.R. Rogers of Denver, Iowa, formally opens the event. "The numbers [of riders] are always very impressive here," he tells the crowd. "I'm in awe of them every year. And ... it always looks pretty bad-ass when we roll in together."

("The Red Bull [emblem] is again incorporated into the ride," Rogers says later in his remarks, "not only as a tribute to Donny, but to his brothers and sisters who continue to serve in uniform.")

Rogers calls the crowd's attention to the family and friends of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Davis, 19, killed in Southern Afghanistan's Helmund Province on May 7, 2010. Some of them wear kelly green T-shirts from their own memorial ride in Perry, Iowa, conducted earlier in August.

More formalities: Those gathered in the street recite the Pledge of Allegiance–there's a large flag hanging from the side of the building–and Pam Hart of Allison, Iowa sings the U.S. National Anthem. There is a quick drawing for the name of the first 50-50 winner, and then the riders begin to mount up for the day's ride.

Jeff and Jeanie Nichols ride a three-wheel Harley-Davidson painted out
as a tribute to Donny Nichols.

Donny's parents, Jeff and Jeanie, ride to the front of the formation in a Harley-Davidson three-wheeler painted out as a tribute to Donny. Depicted on the vehicle are stars, stripes, and pictures of Donny and his military awards. Just over the license plate is painted a banner, which reads, "Riding in tribute to Specialist Donny Nichols."

Suddenly, there is something like a rumble of thunder. The riders collectively roll out, surging toward the next stop. Together, they become a pulse, a connection between towns and people, a memory of a storm.

They will be back. Remember.

Book Review: 'Seriously Not All Right'

"Seriously Not All Right: Five Wars in Ten Years" by Ron Capps

Military and U.S. State Department veteran Ron Capps likes to say that he served on the ragged edges of civilization, including tours in Central Africa, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Dafur. In a newly available memoir, he describes how that service nearly unraveled him personally, professionally, and, most of all, psychologically.

Pieced together, his book also illuminates the limitations of ad hoc diplomatic and military efforts in a world challenged by terrorism, poverty, and genocide. Finally, his work serves as an example of why creative non-fiction/memoir is a vital tool in bridging the societal divide between military and civilian audiences. Everybody has their own war, and we are best served to remember that not every soldier's story fits into a neatly packaged narrative arc of home-and-back-again.

Seriously—you should read this book.

Capps was both a U.S. Army intelligence officer and a civilian Foreign Service Officer. Whether in military uniform or State Department mufti, Capps describes his roles as a something akin to that of a reporter. "I've joked over the years that, at its core, my job was to talk to people and write down what they said," Capps writes. "It sounds simple, and it is to a point. But it becomes exponentially more interesting and difficult if there is shooting and burning and killing and dying going on around you." [p. 4-5]

Bespeaking his State Department training, Capps is obviously master of the pointed understatement. Despite the harrowing circumstances of some of his tales, his authorial tone is always friendly and conversational, and he delivers his stories with a club-chair confidence of clear-eyed reflection. Between emotional slugs to the gut, you can almost hear the clink of ice in the glass.

That's not to say that Capps is world-worn and -weary, and incapable of idealism. When a general officer tells him that it is too late for an observation mission in Rwanda to do any good for people, for example, Capps' response borders on insubordination. "General, we're talking about a hundred thousand people," Capps says. "They need help, and you have the power to save them." [p. 97] When the general subsequently challenges Capps' method of counting the population, Capps shames him out of the room. All he has to do, he tells the general, is "count the feet and divide by two."

Overall, the collection of essays is full of similar wry humor, keen observations, lessons-learned and truths told. This anecdote, for example, will resonate with anyone who has ever dealt with a distant headquarters: Rousted out of bed by a long-distance call from the State Department Operations Center about news reports of a bomb blast in Pristina, Kosovo, Capps tells the over-eager caller that it will take a few hours for him to confirm the incident:

"Can't you go now?"
"No, you see, a bomb just went off down there."
"Right, that's why we want you to go."
"Right, and that's why I want to wait a few hours, just in case another one is sitting there ready to go off."
"Oh." [p. 73]

The book's title is taken from Capps' daily system of rating his own mental health while downrange, a scale downhill from I'm All Right to I'm Not All Right, past Vaguely Not All Right, to Seriously Not All Right or worse. Having weathered years of dispassionately and diplomatically documenting shocking displays of humanity's inhumanity, Capps finds himself facing a personal Catch-22 dilemma: Does he ask for medical help to address his symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.), so that he can continue to do his job? Because, if he does, he'll likely lose his security clearance ... and his job.

He writes from Afghanistan:

The Taliban have launched a couple of rockets toward the base during the week, so we are all a little on edge, but that isn't what's keeping me up. I am bundled into my sleeping bag, trying to control my racing heart, and trembling because the dead have come to talk with me. [...] The night before, it was the dead from the village of Racak [Kosovo]. Forty-five of them, shot in the back of the head and left to die in that rocky ditch on a frozen January morning in 1999. They dropped by for a chat. "Why didn't you do more to save us?" they ask. Why, indeed. Night after night they appear on the big screen of my mind in oversaturated Technicolor, writhing and imploring. [p. 123-124]

Capps finally did pull the proverbial pin on his dual-hatted career—after nearly pulling the trigger in a suicide attempt downrange—and asked for the medical help he needed. After retiring, he used the G.I. Bill to complete a Masters of Fine Art (M.F.A.) in writing. He now leverages his talents as founder of the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit Veterans Writing Project. There, he helps other military veterans and family members share their experiences through non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and other writing. He also helps study writing as a potential therapeutic intervention at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Bethesda, Md.

In other words, Capps is all right. And he's helping others get there, too.

*****

Disclosures: The Red Bull Rising blog received a review copy of this book. For a 2012 Red Bull Rising interview with Ron Capps, regarding his work with the Veterans Writing Project and its O-Dark-Thirty literary journal, click here. The organization and publication have been featured regularly on the Red Bull Rising blog. Finally, Capps was a presenter at the March 2014 Great Plains Writers' Conference, Brookings, S.D., at which the writer of the Red Bull Rising blog was also a presenter. They shared a drink or two.