Traveling 'Citizen-Soldier-Artist' Previews June 26-27

The traveling "Citizen-Soldier-Artist" exhibition was first previewed to the public at Mid-America Arts Alliance headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. earlier this month. It will be available for public view again June 26-27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a Facebook slideshow, click here.

"Citizen-Soldier-Artist," a traveling adaptation of artist-veterans' work, will be previewed at the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., Thurs., June 26 and June 27., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 2018 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Mo.

The "Citizen-Soldier-Artist" exhibition features drawing, painting, print-making, photography and more by artist-veterans who are geographically located or originating in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, or Texas. Also featured is the poem "Welcome Home," by writer Jason Poudrier of Oklahoma.

As part of its mission, the M-AAA develops traveling exhibitions to be featured in its "ExhibitsUSA" or "NEH on the Road" touring programs. The original 2013 exhibition was presented in Michigan City, Ind., at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts' Hyndman Gallery, Michigan City., Ind. Independent scholar, archivist, and art consultant Tara Leigh Tappert curated the works presented in each effort.

According to the arts organization:

Citizen–Soldier–Artist is an exhibition exploring how veterans in the United States are using the arts to constructively process and heal from the physical and psychological wounds of war. In addition to the images, music, and poetry they produce, a grassroots network of organizations has also grown to nurture and support these artist veterans.

This show, which is in early development for a touring exhibition, offers a compelling and moving look at the person inside the uniform as they struggle to reintegrate into civilian life.

A slide show of the exhibition preview is available on the M-AAA organizational Facebook page here.

Artist-Veterans Sought for Kansas City, Mo. Exhibit

A regional arts non-profit is seeking the work of visual artists in six Southern Plains states who are also military veterans. The pending June 2014 exhibition is an adaptation of a "Citizen Soldier Citizen" exhibition that originated at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Michigan City, Ind.

Mid-America Arts Alliance is seeking artists working in 2-D formats such as drawing, painting, print-making, paper-making, and photography, who are geographically located or originating in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, or Texas. Deadline is April 7, 2014.

The exhibition focuses on the artists' experiences as members of the armed services. The original Indiana show was previously mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog here.

Submission of photographs documenting an artist's work can be made via e-mail. Send to: tim@maaa.org

If sending digital discs or print photo submissions by postal mail, in advance please call 816.421.1388 ext. 224 or e-mail. Mail to:

Tim Brown
Mid-America Arts Alliance
2018 Baltimore Ave
Kansas City, MO 64108

Omaha Paper Follows-up Red Bull Stories

Three Iowa and two Nebraska citizen-soldiers were profiled in anniversary stories that appeared in the Omaha World-Herald, Sun., April 1, 2012. The soldiers were part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) deployment to Eastern Afghanistan, from August 2010 to July 2011. Omaha World-Herald reporter Joe Morton and photographer Alyssa Schukar embedded with the units, first at Fort Irwin, Calif. in fall 2010, and again in Afghanistan, spring 2011.

The soldiers' stories are a compelling mix of text, photo, and not-to-be-missed video coverage. They include:

• Alexis Trucke: "I'd like to deploy again, someday"
• Jeremiah Afuh: Finding a job is "like everything else. You have to fight for it."
• John Kerschner: "I believe in our freedoms, and I believe in taking personal responsibility for them"
• William Gomez: "My dream has always been to become a soldier"
• John Matheson: "Say something nice about my wife. ... She's a hero in my book"

According to an April 3 report, Schukar's Afghan photo work won awards in two different large-newspaper categories in the 2012 Great Plains Associated Press (A.P.) News and Photo Contest. Forty member North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska newspapers in three circulation categories competed:

In Feature photos, a first-place photo depicting a young Afghan boy amidst a sea of women wearing blue burkas, awaiting a wintertime humanitarian delivery of flour, sugar, cooking oil, and tea by Nebraksa's 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1-334th Cav.).

In the Spot News category, a third-place photo depicting an Iowa cavalry trooper smoking a cigarette after a firefight with insurgents in Parwan Province. The caption reads: "With the blood of an insurgent fighter on his hand, Spc. Brandon Dykun smokes a cigarette shortly after engaging in contact with two insurgents in a dry ravine near the village of Walli Kalay on April 7, 2011." Dykun was deployed with Iowa National Guard's 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1-113th Cav.) Both the Nebraska and Iowa cavalry units were part of 2-34th BCT deployment to Eastern Afghanistan, from August 2010 to July 2011. Approximately 3,000 citizen-soldiers participated in the deployment.

Schukar's work has been previously mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog here. In a "Viewfinder" blog entry that serves as a companion to the World-Herald's most recent coverage, she describes her own motivations in revisiting the Red Bull soldiers:

Some of the best feedback we received from our time spent as embedded journalists with the Nebraska and Iowa soldiers there came from simple portraits of soldiers with quick question-and-answer interviews, which we posted almost daily to our At War, At Home page.

I found that family members were eager to hear any news of their deployed loved ones, and soldiers were quick to take the opportunity to talk about why they joined the National Guard and who was waiting for them back home.

The time changed me in surprisingly positive ways. I wanted to see the soldiers again, to learn how Afghanistan affected them and what their lives were like now.

In the past few months, I revisited five of the 60 soldiers whose portraits I took while I was embedded. Talking with them was very rewarding. We spoke of our shared experiences in Afghanistan and adjustments to life back in Nebraska and Iowa.

Photog Depicts Red Bulls and Golden Light

For two months in early 2011, Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald photographer Alyssa Schukar embedded with Nebraska and Iowa National Guard troops deployed to Afghanistan, including those of Iowa's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" division. In a recent Veterans Day editorial package, the 27-year-old Lincoln, Neb. native reflected upon her experiences downrange:

I met dedicated soldiers who worked relentlessly to improve Afghans’ lives. The soldiers often told me that their efforts were aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people. It wasn’t like war video games. Rather, their mission was humanitarian.

People often ask if I feared for my life during that time. Though my heart pounded hard a time or two, I never felt more safe than in the company of those soldiers.

As may have been mentioned previously in the Red Bull Rising blog, Schukar shoots with almost fine-art sensibility: Her big-sky landscapes, golden illuminations, and character-infused portraits often evoke something of the American middle west, as much as they depict life and death and waiting in a strange land. For Veterans Day 2011, she presented an online gallery of her Afghan work. Much of it is museum-worthy.

Just as notable, however, are Schukar's behind-the-scenes descriptions of some self-selected favorites. Be sure to check it out here on the still-active Omaha World-Herald "At War, At Home" blog.

Red Bull News Herd 'Round the Net

There has been a lot of news coming out of the deployment of 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) recently. Some of it has been exciting, as soldiers continue to aggressively pursue their respective missions. Some of it has been inspiring, as citizens build bridges from Iowa to Afghanistan. And some of it has been heart-breaking, as buddies, friends, and family mourn the deaths of soldiers killed in action.

Here is some of the latest Red Bull news in brief:

Injured Red Bull soldier may return stateside by end of week
In an April 25 update, the Des Moines (Iowa) Register reports that, following a April 23 combat incident in Afghanistan's Kapisa Province, Iowa National Guard Spc. Zachary Durham, 20, of Des Moines has been transported to a hospital in Germany, and may return stateside by the end of the week. He has talked with family, is reportedly in good spirits. Durham was shot in the same Kapisa Province attack that resulted in the death of another "Red Bull" soldier, Staff Sgt. James A. Justice, 32, of Grimes. Both soldiers are members of 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment--part of the Iowa's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT). Funeral arrangements for Justice are pending.

'Hero' tribute video depicts Nichols funeral procession
The April 23 funeral of Spc. Donald L. Nichols, 20, was held in the Waverly-Shell Rock High School. Iowans lined much of the 15-mile distance from the funeral to the graveside service, holding flags, saluting, and otherwise standing witness. The 2009 song "Hero," by the Christian rock band Skillet, was played during an interlude at the funeral. The official video of the song is posted here; a tribute video to Nichols featuring the song is posted here. While the frenetic combination of music and pictures is a little dissonant--not at all in keeping with the somber, overcast mood of the day--it does a great job capturing depicting how many people were out to welcome Nichols home one last time.

Minnesota Red Bull soldiers to train Afghan security forces
Some 55 "Red Bull" soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard's 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment (2-136th CAB), headquartered in Rosemount, Minn., are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan on an Embedded Training Team (E.T.T.) mission. See news article here. Such a training mission may be similar to what Nebraska's 1st Squadron, 134th Infantry are doing during the deployment to Afghanistan with Iowa's 2-34th BCT.

Iowa Red Bull unit, Minnesota non-profit distribute clothing to Afghan civilians
Working through Afghan National Army personnel, soldiers of Iowa's 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1-168th Inf.) recently distributed 6,000 coats and other clothing items to Afghan civilians in remote villages in Paktiya Province. The clothing was donated, collected, and transported through the efforts of Rapport Afghanistan, a Minnesota-based non-profit started in 2010 by 1-168th Inf. alumnus Shawn Mingus, Chanhassen, Minn. Weather and transportation problems postponed delivery from January to April. “Rapport Afghanistan is a great example of outstanding, grass-root support from volunteers in America who donated time and money for a coat drive to donate warm clothes for the Afghan people who need them,” said 1-68th commander Lt. Col. Stephen Boesen. See Army news article here.

Southwestern Iowa soldiers capture insurgent moneyman
On the other side of the mission spectrum, two companies of 1-168th Inf. soldiers this month also helped 400 Afghan personnel conduct Operation Rainbow Valley, a traffic-control effort to snare insurgents operating in the Zormat District of Paktiya Province. The mission paid off when a highly sought-after insurgency financier was captured on his way home from market. “We’ve definitely taken the wind out of the sails of the insurgents for a while,” said Delta Company commander Capt. Kent Greiner of Nevada, Iowa. “We’re striking a nerve with them and we’re going to keep striking that nerve to see what happens.” See Army news article here.

Omaha World-Herald team returns to Nebraska
According to a blog-post earlier this week, the Omaha World-Herald's reporter-photographer team of Joseph Morton and Alyssa Schukar is returning stateside after spending nearly two months covering Midwesterners deployed to Afghanistan. Morton's interviews and insights have told the citizen-soldier story well, and Schukar's portraits of Midwestern men and women in uniform are like fine art. You can continue to follow their coverage here.

Des Moines (Iowa) Register feature on Red Bull women practically goes viral
An April 24 Des Moines Register Sunday news feature about Red Bull women in combat has since appeared in USAToday, the Army Times, and other venues. You can continue to read the Register's regular coverage of the 2-34th BCT deployment here.

Three Red Bull blogs nominated for Fifth Annual Milbloggies Awards

Announced April 25, the Red Bull Rising blog has been nominated for a Milbloggie Award under the U.S. Veteran category. The People's Choice-style competition "recognizes military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military over the past year." Voting will close on Thurs., April 28, at 7pm EST/4pm PST, and no registration or log-in is required.

Two other blogs related to the 2-34th BCT deployment to Afghanistan, "My Yellow Ribbon" and "My Father's Voice," have been nominated under the U.S. Military Parent category. Please consider voting for these blogs, as well as:

• U.S. Army: "Life, Love & Truth" written by Illinois National Guard recruiter, "Afghan Journal" author, and Red Bull Rising guest-blogger Jeff Courter. Go Guard!

• U.S Marine: "Glory, Guts & Glitter," written by single-mother and Marine Christina Fawn. She writes with a bayonet, and will occasionally cut your heart out and make you like it. Plus, she's from Minnesota, and can find Camp Ripley on a map. So she's practically a Red Bull, too!

• U.S. Reporter: Tom Sileo writes "The Unknown Soldier," which routinely and sensitively celebrates the lives of U.S. military personnel.

• U.S. Military Supporter: The writer of "Little Drops ..." who uses the callsign "Kentucky Woman," has been a long-time supporter of Red Bull Rising, and has worked hard to introduce Charlie Sherpa around the Milblogger community. It's people like her that make the Internet worthwhile.

Click here for a Milbloggie ballot.

Iowa Group to Raise 'Red Bull' Puppies

Official U.S. Army Photo: LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan--U.S. Army Spc. Ahren Blake, a combat medic from Clinton, Iowa, with Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Ironman, a part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Task Force Red Bulls, holds two puppies he found at an observation post in the Aziz Khan Kats Mountain Valley range near Jalalabad, Afghanistan April 15. The puppies have been living with the Afghan National Army Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 201st Infantry Corps, which man the Observation Posts that 3rd Platoon visited. See related news article here. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Matson, Task Force Red Bulls Public Affairs)

*****

Paws & Effect, a Des Moines, Iowa-based non-profit organization that raises and trains service dogs for Iowa combat veterans, announced earlier in April that a litter of five service-dogs-in-training has been named in honor of 3,000 Iowa National Guard soldiers currently deployed to Afghanistan. The puppies will be raised by local volunteers for up to 18 months, then professionally trained and placed with veterans diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) or mobility impairments.

Psychiatric service dogs assist handlers in navigating stressful environments and situations, both at home and in public. In public, service dogs often wear uniforms to indicate their special purpose. According to Paws & Effect, raising and training one psychiatric service dog costs approximately $20,000.

Born in the United States, the black Labrador puppies of the “Red Bull” litter are named:

• “Ryder”: In the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry “Red Bull” Division (2-34th BCT), the commander's radio callsign is "Ryder-6." During World War II, Maj. Gen. Charles W. Ryder commanded the 34th Infantry Division in North Africa and Italy. The 2-34th BCT is headquartered in Boone.

• “Avauncez” (aka “Vance” or “Van”): The 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1/133rd Inf.) motto is French for "advance" or "forward." The 1/133rd Inf. is headquartered in Waterloo.

• “Sabre”: Radio callsign of 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1/113th Cav.), Sioux City.

• “Archer”: Radio callsign of the 334th Brigade Support Battalion (334th BSB), headquartered in Johnston. Task Force Archer is currently in charge of administering Bagram Airfield, the largest installation in Afghanistan and home to approximately 30,000 U.S. and coalition troops.

• “Havoc”: Radio callsign of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 34th Infantry Division (2/34th BSTB), headquartered in Cedar Rapids.

“Our latest litter of dogs has been named in honor of the 34th Infantry ‘Red Bull’ Division, which has a proud Midwestern history, dating from the World Wars to present-day Iraq and Afghanistan,” says Nicole Shumate (“shoo-mayt”), executive director of Paws & Effect. “Additionally, while in training, they’ll wear the same special camouflage as the Iowans and Nebraskans currently deployed to Afghanistan.”

The organization had earlier hinted at the pending puppy news at a March 28 event, celebrating a series of televised Public Service Announcements that featured Iowa National Guard soldiers and airmen.

Before it deployed to eastern Afghanistan in October 2010, the Iowa National Guard’s 2-34th BCT was one of the first U.S. Army units to be issued the Afghanistan-specific “MultiCam” pattern. Military apparel manufacturer Propper International Inc., Weldon Spring, Mo. has constructed and donated MultiCam service-dog uniforms for the “Red Bull” litter.

“As a company rooted in military heritage, we fully support Paws & Effect in their mission to provide services to Iowa veterans,” says Megan Henderson, marketing manager for Propper International. “We look forward to watching these puppies grow in the months to come, and to welcoming our troops home.”

In addition to training service and mobility dogs, Paws & Effect provides “Pet Partners” for animal-assisted therapy and activities. It also regularly conducts agility trials as fund-raising events. Because it is a 501(c)3 organization, donations to Paw & Effect are tax-deductible.

For more information on the Paws & Effect organization, visit: paws-effect.blogspot.com

Omaha Newspaper Launches Red Bull blog

The Omaha World-Herald recently launched a blog titled "At War, At Home," which covers Nebraska and Iowa citizen-soldiers currently deployed to Afghanistan. The blog now appears in the Red Bull Rising blog-roll, at right.

Reporter Joseph Morton and photographer Alyssa Schukar are currently embedded with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34th BCT) units downrange--the deployment includes the Nebraska National Guard's 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1-134th Cav.)--while reporter Matthew Hansen and editor Cate Folsom are covering the home front. Read more about the blog team's background here.

In October 2010, Morton and Schukar also covered the units' pre-deployment training at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. Click here for more details of that coverage.

The new Omaha World-Herald blog regularly presents eye-catching news photos and portraiture, environmental videos, and question-and-answer sessions with individual soldiers. The editors also promise to regularly post "round-ups" of the newspaper's coverage, to help readers ensure they haven't missed anything. For two such round-ups click here and here.

Recent Omaha World-Herald coverage has included:

• "Nebraska troops deliver food," (Mar. 3). A 1-134th Cav. humanitarian-assistance mission delivers food to Afghan families.

• "Neb. troops make a difference" (Mar. 4). Kabul's police chief is thankful for the assistance of Nebraska National Guard soldiers and trainers, but thinks U.S. presence will still be required for another five to 10 years.

• "Mealtime in Afghanistan" (Mar. 5). How soldiers of Bravo Troop, 1-134th Cav. dine on local delicacies.

• "Troops coax out rural cops" (Mar. 7). How Alpha Troop, 1-134th Cav. uses humanitarian-assistance missions such as "Operation United Front" to bolster Afghan police image and presence.

• "A smokin' oasis for soldiers" (Mar. 12). Cigar-scented "Tiki Hut" hang-outs at Camps Phoenix and Dubs, Afghanistan, serve as places where Nebraska soldiers can blow off steam ... and smoke.

• "Working their way back" (Mar. 13). Veterans groups and other organizations are preparing to assist National Guard members find new employment after they return home from deployment.

• "Marathon man: Gretna Guard member plans to run the 26.2-mile Lincoln race in Kabul" (Mar. 14). Deployed to Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Army Maj. Spencer Giles continues to work toward his goal of making the "Lucky 13" club, which is made up of people who have run the Lincoln, Neb. marathon 13 times.

• "Guardsmen's job: Policing the police," a Mar. 15 article describing how Nebraskans daily train Afghan law enforcement personnel, while suspecting that some locals--both police and civilian--may be less than honest.

Here's a friendly reminder: If you find local and regional news coverage of Nebraska and Iowa citizen-soldiers meaningful, compelling, or useful, please be sure to buy some newspapers; make positive reader comments on newspaper and television station blogs; or send editors, reporters, and producers words of thanks via postal mail.

The Red Bull Story So Far: 'Halfway There'

Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry “Red Bull” Division (2-34th BCT), recently marked the "halfway home" milestone on their deployment calendars.

The 2-34th BCT comprises approximately 3,000 Iowa and Nebraska National Guard troops. In the largest single deployment of Iowa National Guard troops since World War II, units comprising the brigade began mobilizing in late July and early August 2010. Red Bull units first trained at Camp Shelby, Miss., before conducting realistic war games at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., in late September and early October 2011.

While most units returned to Camp Shelby prior to phased departures to Afghanistan, the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry "Ironman" Regiment (1/133rd Inf.) and select brigade personnel launched directly into country from Fort Irwin. According to news reports, 1/133rd Inf. soldiers captured one Taliban fighter just days after arriving in Afghanistan.

Other Red Bull units gradually arrived in Afghanistan through the end of November 2010. The brigade officially relieved the Vermont National Guard’s 86th BCT at Bagram Airfield (“BAF”) on Dec. 4, 2010. The event nearly coincided with a surprise visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

The mission of “Task Force Red Bulls” marks only the second time a U.S. National Guard brigade has been given responsibility for geographic area of operations in Afghanistan. The brigade is under the command of 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” Division, headquartered in Fort Campbell, Kent.

In Army jargon, a "task force" is a battalion-or-larger-sized group of units temporarily organized to address a specific mission. The term can include the addition of personnel from other U.S. and allied armed services, both active-duty or national guard/reserve, as well as civilians.

“[Task Force] Wolverine [86th BCT] was the first National Guard Brigade to serve as a battle space owner here in Afghanistan, and throughout their tenure here, Task Force Wolverine focused on making Afghanistan better for the Afghan people and coalition forces,” said 101st Airborne Division commander Maj. Gen. John Campbell in a Dec. 5 statement. “From partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces ... to increasing capability of local governance ... to implementing and continuing new development programs ... to improving quality of life on Bagram, Task Force Wolverine has set an incredible standard of success.“

He continued, “Their successors, the 2-34 IBCT ‘Red Bulls’ from the Iowa National Guard have some big shoes to fill, but I am confident they will meet the challenges of this deployment with success. I have seen many of the Task Force Red Bulls soldiers on my battlefield circulation, and I have seen first-hand that they are well disciplined and well trained. I am confident that under the leadership of COL Ben Corell and CSM Joel Arnold that Task Force Red Bulls is exactly the right unit to continue capitalizing on the successes of Task Force Wolverine. Welcome to Afghanistan, Red Bulls!”

Task Force Red Bulls comprises:

• Headquarters, 2-34th BCT, Boone, Iowa.

• 334th Brigade Support Battalion, headquartered in Johnston. The 334th BSB is commanded by Lt. Col. John Perkins, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Adams. As "Task Force Archer," the unit is responsible for the operation of Bagram Airfield, an installation of approximately 30,000 U.S. and other personnel. The unit also provides logistical, maintenance, and medical support to the brigade.

• 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB), 34th Infantry Division (2/34th BSTB), headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 2/34th BSTB is commanded by Lt. Col. Allyn Gronewold, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Christine Short. Due to requirements surrounding the Bagram base operations mission, much of the 2/34th BSTB has been task-organized under 334th BSB.

• 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment (1/113th Cav.), headquartered in Sioux City, Iowa, is commanded by Lt. Col. David Updegraff, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Stephen Wayman. As "Task Force Red Horse," the 1/113th Cav. is responsible for security operations around Bagram Airfield and in surrounding Parwan Province.

• Personnel of Iowa’s 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (1/194th FA) have been distributed throughout the brigade. The 1/194th FA is headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and is commanded by Lt. Col. John Cunningham, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. David Enright.

• 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry "Ironman" Regiment (1/133rd Inf.), headquartered in Waterloo. The 1/133rd Inf. is commanded by Lt. Col. Steven Kremer and Command Sgt. Maj. Marcus Mittvalsky. The 1/133rd Inf. is currently operating in Laghman Province. Ironman soldiers recently described 'average' days in this Army news release.

The other of the 2-34th BCT’s two organic infantry battalions has been attached to units outside the Task Force Red Bulls area of operation: 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1/168th Inf.), headquartered in Council Bluffs. The 1/168th Inf. is commanded by Lt. Col. Steve Boesen, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Duane Hinman. The unit is currently operating in Paktia Province.

Until recently, the 1/168th Inf. had been operating under "Task Force Rakkasan," led by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (3/101st BCT). The Rakassans were recently relieved by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division of Fort Knox, Kent., however, and the Iowa unit now reports to "Task Force Duke."

The Nebraska National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1/134th Cav.), headquartered in Lincoln., Neb., also deployed with the 2-34th BCT. The unit is commanded by Lt. Col. Tom Rynders, assisted by Command Sgt. Maj. Marty Baker. As "Task Force Fury," the 1/134th Cav. trains and mentors Afghan police personnel in and around the Afghan capital of Kabul. This National Guard news article describes recent 1/134th Cav. operations.

Iowa soldiers deployed with the 2-34th BCT wear the Red Bull patch on their left shoulders, and are authorized to wear the patch as “shoulder sleeve insignia” (SSI) more commonly referred to as a “combat patch.” Slang terms for a soldier wearing a Red Bull patch on each shoulder can include: “Wearing the ‘Double-Bull’” and “Wearing the ‘Steak-Sandwich.’”

Living conditions for Red Bull soldiers in Afghanistan range from the densely packed Bagram Airfield, in which soldiers are bunked in multi-level stacks of air-conditioned and heated semi-trailer containers, to austere platoon- and company-sized Combat Outposts (“COP”), in which soldiers do laundry in 5-gallon cans filled with river water, lack hot showers and Internet access, and must burn toilet waste.

In early January 2011, the brigade suffered its only reported combat casualty to-date, when Sgt. Brian Fieler, 27, was injured after stepping on a landmine in Laghman Province. The Earlville, Iowa, soldier lost the lower portion of one leg.

The 2010 deployment is not the first time the Red Bull patch has been seen in Afghanistan. In 2004-2005, nearly 1,000 Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed as “Task Force 168,” where they provided security for Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) sites across the country.

In other connections to Red Bull history, 2-34th BCT commander COL Ben Corell and CSM Joel Arnold were in charge of the 1/133rd Inf. during its deployment with the Minnesota’s National Guard’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, 2005 to 2007. Included as part of a U.S. troop "surge," the 22-month deployment was the longest continuous deployment to Iraq of any U.S. Army unit. Members of Nebraska’s 1/134th Cav. also participated in that deployment as part of 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry Regiment (1/167th Cav.).

Walking the TOC

FORT IRWIN, Calif., Sept. 24--The 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division headquarters stumbles into Forward Operating Base (FOB) Denver, and immediately starts unloading the vehicles and setting up the Tactical Operations Center (T.O.C.). The TOC itself--the nerve center for the more than 3,000 troops comprising seven battalions of mostly Iowa and Nebraska National Guard personnel--is located in the "igloo," a brand-new, two-story, circular building that looks like something straight out of Star Wars.

No, not the Death Star. Instead, you know the scene in which the young, restless, and whiney Luke Skywalker looks across the sands of Tatooine under two setting suns, while John Williams' orchestral score swells up? I'm pretty sure that FOB Denver is in the background.

"You know, that little droid is going to cause me a lot of trouble ..."

Moving into the FOB is chaos, but it is a familiar kind of chaos. In the darkness, soldiers try to figure where they're going to be sleeping later that night, provided anyone gets any sleep. The occasional spotlight lights the way to the tents.

From where we park the Humvee to the TOC is approximately 200 meters. Sleeping quarters for officers--majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels--are located nearby the TOC. The trailers, built for four people, sleep eight or nine majors each. Rank has its privileges, apparently, particularly if you like sleeping really, really close to your buddies. Sleeping quarters for everyone else are another 500 meters across the dunes, in massive foam-insulated tents capable of sleeping about 150 soldiers. There is plenty of elbow room, as well as room for other parts of one's body.

The brigade headquarters company and portions of the 2/34th Brigade Special Troops Battalion (B.S.T.B.) divvy up space in only one of these massive "sleep shades. The term is an apparent holdover from when conditions at the National Training Center (N.T.C.) were so rustic, the tents didn't even have walls.

There's some talk and movement toward keeping squad, section, or shift integrity--grouping together the soldiers that work together in the same places and times. That way, day-shifters won't wake up the night-shifters as much, and vice versa. In turns out not to matter much, however. The rushing sound of an industrial air-conditioner masks the usual snoring and banging around. Signs posted on the outside of the tents, warning that the facilities are for sleeping only and to take your business activities elsewhere, also help.

The smart soldiers quickly figure out that the electrical outlets are located on the support columns around the perimeter of the tents, so the layout of the cots develops more organically than the traditional "dress-right-dress" of traditional bivouac sites. When it comes to recharging cameras and bootleg iPods, it's strictly "first come, first served."

There are eight or nine other sleep tents, lined up in two neat rows. There's one for contractors and role players. One for female soldiers from our unit. One for the caterers who will serve the meals in our chow halls.

The dining facilities are another 200 meters past the sleep tent.

For those of you playing along at home, that means the total distance from Humvee to cot to hot meal is approximately one kilometer. Along the way, one passes clusters of portable toilets, hand wash stations, and 500-gallon trailers called "water buffaloes," from which soldiers will refill their canteens and CamelBaks. There are also some semi-trailers containing shower and laundry facilities.

Over the course of the next two weeks, soldiers will repeatedly observe that nothing on the FOB is convenient, but everything is certainly within walking distance.

Omaha World-Herald Covers Fort Irwin, Calif.

Omaha World-Herald reporter Joseph Morton and photographer Alyssa Schukar embedded with soldiers of the Iowa National Guard's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry Division's (2-34th BCT) large-scale wargames at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. earlier this month.

The Nebraska National Guard's 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1/134th Cav.) is deploying as part of the Iowa brigade, and the World-Herald's geographic coverage area also includes western Iowa, regional home of Iowa's 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment (1/168th Inf.).

Morton's got a light, tongue-in-cheek touch with his pen (or word-processor), while Schukar's got an eye for less-formal, you-are-there shots. Both leave you wanting more; here's hoping that they can embed with the troops downrange, too.

Here are a couple of examples of the Omaha World-Herald's coverage of the Red Bull deployment:

Oct. 10: "Our Troops: Mission Ready" (I particularly like the North Platte Telegraph's alternate headline for this article. They called it, "It takes a village to train a warrior.")

Oct. 10: "Wounds are fake, but intensity is real"

Oct. 10: "Iowa guardsmen ‘own the roads’ so that comrades can get supplies"

Oct. 11: "Guard thinks outside box"

Wearing the 'Steak Sandwich'

Here's another installment from Red Bull Rising's series titled, "How to Read a Uniform." On the U.S. Army uniform, the unit patch is worn on the left sleeve. As we discussed earlier this week, most of the soldiers currently assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34 BCT) wear the red bull patch designed by artist Marvin Cone in 1917.

The exception is the Nebraska Army National Guard's 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1/134 Cavalry). They wear the "Pike"--a pole arm similar to a spear, once used by medieval troops--of the 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (Bf.S.B.). If I were more clever, I'd make some joke about bullfighting and Picadors, but then I'd also be forced to observe that the bull never seems to do very well in those types of sporting events. Secret memo to self: "Pikes always beat bulls."

Olé!

All 2-34 BCT soldiers, regardless of whether they have the Pike or the Red Bull on their sleeves, will wear Red Bull insignia on their Advanced Combat Helmets (A.C.H.). (See photo, above, for what that looks like.)

U.S. soldiers who have deployed to a combat area are allowed to wear a "Shoulder Sleeve Insignia" patch on their right sleeve, a tradition that goes back to World War I. Rules regarding these "combat patches" have changed a little in recent years, but generally the soldier wears the patch of the lowest-level deployable headquarters to which the soldier was assigned combat duty.

Only the U.S. Army wears combat patches, although recent practice allowed select Army units to wear the insignia of U.S. Marine units under which they had served.

Veterans of the following recent deployments may wear the Red Bull patch on both the left and right sleeves:

• Operation Enduring Freedom (O.E.F.), 2004-2005: Task Force 168 (1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment).
• Operation Iraqi Freedom (O.I.F.), 2005-2007: 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division (1-34 BCT).
• Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2007-2008: 34th Infantry Division Headquarters.

Occasionally, you'll hear the double-bull patch referred to by soldiers as a "steak sandwich." (Get it?! A bull on each side!) I've also heard it called a "doub-bull," and pronounced like those old Saturday Night Live skits about Chicago's Michael Jordan: "DA-bulls!"

(Remember the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-business Development Team? They wear Iowa National Guard's "Hawkeye" patch on their left, and now the "Screaming Eagle" of the 101st Airborne Division on their right. Does this qualify as a "chicken sandwich"? Only if you want to start a fight!)

The Bull, the Hawk, and the Pike

A quick and visual history lesson today ... File this knowledge under "Know your patches"!

The Red Bull patch was designed by American regionalist painter Marvin Cone. Cone was a National Guard soldier stationed at Camp Cody, N.M. with the 34th Infantry Division (not yet nicknamed the "Red Bull") during World War I. What's a "regionalist" painter? Cone was a friend and colleague of Grant Wood, the latter the artist of such revered works as "American Gothic," "Arbor Day," and "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." Think "guy with pitchfork standing next to his sister in front of house with a church-shaped window," and you'll be close.

The "Hawkeye" patch, which is currently worn by members of the Iowa Army National Guard not otherwise assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division, mirrors the "olla" jug shape in somewhat larger form. The patch was originally designed as the unit crest for the 34th Infantry Division headquarters and separate units of the division, including the 67th Infantry Brigade.

The patch features the profile of a hawk, and blue and gold laurels. The latter evokes the French influence on the state, which was part of the Louisiana Purchase. The former is symbolic of Iowa as the "Hawkeye" state.

Why the Hawkeye? The state's official nickname was partly due to the efforts of two boosters shortly after statehood: Judge David Rorer or Burlington and newspaper publisher James G. Edwards of Fort Madision, and later of Burlington.

Rorer was apparently an enthusiast of James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote "The Last of the Mohicans." In that book, the nickname "Hawkeye" is affixed to the scout Natty Bumppo. Edwards was a friend of Chief Blackhawk, and saw an opportunity to commemorate the Native American in the term "Hawkeye." He re-named his newspaper the "Burlington Hawk-eye and Iowa Patriot." The newspaper continues publication to this day.

The Nebraska National Guard's 67th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (B.f.S.B.) is a possible successor to the 67th Infantry Brigade, although the Iowa National Guard's administrative 67th Troop Command is perhaps just as likely to be related. Nebraska's 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment (1/134th Cavalry), as well as other soldiers of the 67th BfSB, are currently deploying with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34 BCT).

The Nebraskans wear the left-shoulder unit patch depicting a "pike," a heavy pole-arm once wielded by medieval troops. Pikes are like spears on crack: There's the pointy end for skewering your enemies, there's a hook for tripping your enemies, and a smaller pointy bit for bashing your enemies. All it needs is a can opener or a corkscrew attachment.

The 67th BfSB is often referred to as the "Pike" brigade. One should avoid calling Nebraskans "pikers," however, because in some places in the world, that word is defined as "one who does not participate, or who stops participating."

Trust me--they're more than participating.

Museum Lays Out the Red Bull Carpet

The sudden sounds of machine gun fire so close to my position was, to put it mildly, a little alarming. Here I was, after all, thinking I'd found a cool and quiet spot to spend my lunch hour. I turned a dark corner, and found myself walking along the depths of a World War I trench. Another corner, and then another, and I found myself in No Man's Land.

Being downrange of a machine gun just feels wrong, even if it's being crewed by dummies. And, by "dummies," of course, I mean mannequins.

The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum located on Camp Shelby, Miss., is a 26,000-square-foot building featuring multimedia depictions of military life, equipment, and history. The museum recently laid out the proverbial red carpet for the Red Bull: A banner featuring the unit patch currently flies over the museum's entrance.

The museum is well worth a few hours' visit, although parents should prepare younger children for the occasional loud noise and other surprises driven by motion sensors. There are machine gun noises, and a tank that comes at you with its headlights. Upon entering a ship's bridge, klaxons sound while planes dive past the portholes. It's not quite "interactive," but it all is certainly is fun and educational.

More than 100,000 U.S. soldiers (and a few thousand Canadians) have mobilized through Camp Shelby since June 2004, including in the 2005 deployment to Iraq of the 1st Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (1-34 BCT). Two battalion-sized elements from that 2005 are here with the 2-34 BCT, preparing for Afghanistan. These are: Iowa's 1st "Ironman" Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133 Infantry), and Nebraska's 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry (1-134 Cavalry).

A variety of ground and air vehicles are displayed on the grounds surrounding the museum, as well as stone monuments to units that have ties to Camp Shelby. One of those units is the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (R.C.T.)--a celebrated unit of Japanese-Americans who fought in World War II Italy as part of the 34th "Red Bull" Division.

The Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby, Miss., (near Hattiesburg on Highway 49) is open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. It is closed Sundays, Mondays, and state and federal holidays. It is, however, open on Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4th), and Veteran's Day.

Red Bull Send-off Ceremonies Announced

The soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34 BCT) have received their mobilization orders, and will be moving out in phases and waves, from July 29 to Aug. 9. The units will first assemble on Camp Shelby, Miss. for "post-mobilization training." This is usually team-based training, or training on skills specific to Afghanistan.

After a month or so at Camp Shelby, the units will move to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., for a large-scale exercise. After that, Uncle Sam's crystal ball gets a little fuzzy on the details. Some units may launch directly to Afghanistan. Others may return to Camp Shelby temporarily before themselves launching to Afghanistan.

Iowa communities traditionally send-off their soldiers. Speeches are given, tears are shed, pictures are taken, promises are made. It's similar to the scene depicted in the National Guard heritage print (above), "Goodbye Dear, I'll Be Back in a Year."

Personally, I've asked my family not to go to my unit's send-off ceremony. I figure I'll have a hard enough time trying to keep it together emotionally, as well as remembering the difference between "left-face" and "right-face" marching movements. Also, I don't want my wife to have to pack away two crying kids while putting on a brave face for all of us.

Someone once observed, however, that send-off ceremonies are like graduations and funerals--they're really not so much for the people who are in them, and more for the people who are in the audience.

Two previous ceremonies celebrated Iowa soldiers who will be absorbed into the 2-34 BCT. These soldiers come from the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, headquarted in Johnston, and the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (H.H.B.) of the 1st Field Artillery, 194th Field Artillery, headquartered in Fort Dodge.

Approximately 300 Nebraska National Guard soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry will also be joining the 2-34th BCT deployment. While press releases regarding their send-off ceremonies are still pending, the Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman recently noted that this unit hails from Beatrice, Fremont, Hastings, and Lincoln.

While individual soldiers may choose to travel across the state to their monthly drills, whether for increased promotion opportunities or job specialty, a National Guard armory likely houses a unit representative of surrounding local community. When a National Guard unit "goes to war," a whole community goes with it: local police officers and physicians, business owners and community leaders, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, priests and pastors all put on the uniform, and march out smartly.

Official releases about the remaining Iowa send-off ceremonies can be found here and here. I've take the liberty of re-posting them below, and re-organizing them alphabetically by community name.

Even if you just scan the places and units, please take a moment to consider how many communities and families will be affected by the temporary absence of more than 3,000 citizen-soldiers:

Algona
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approx. 45 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 11 a.m.
Iowa National Guard armory, 1511 N. POW Camp Road, Algona

Boone
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (approx. 110 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 10 a.m.
Des Moines Area Community College (Boone campus), 1125 Hancock Dr., Boone

Carroll
Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approx. 100 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Carroll High School, 2809 N. Grant Road, Carroll

Cedar Falls
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
- Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
- Detachment 2, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Iowa Falls unit)

(approx. 230 soldiers total)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
UNI Dome, 2501 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls

Cedar Rapids
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
- Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
- Company C, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
(approx. 340 soldiers total)
Sat., Aug. 7, 10 a.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids
- Detachment 1, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
- Detachment 2, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Oelwein unit)
- Company B, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 160 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 8, 2 p.m.
US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Charles City
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 35 soldiers)
Mon., Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
Iowa National Guard armory, 2003 Clark Street, Charles City

Clinton
Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 35 soldiers)
Mon., Aug. 2, 2 p.m.
Iowa National Guard Armory, 1200 13th Avenue North, Clinton

Council Bluffs
- Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Spencer unit)
- Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 1, Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 215 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 1,10 a.m.
Mid-American Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs

Davenport
Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approx. 75 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Modern Woodmen Park (River Bandits), 209 S. Gaines Street, Davenport

Des Moines
- 334th Brigade Support Battalion
- Detachment 1, Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Corning unit)
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
Mon., Aug. 9 , 10 a.m.,
Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 703 3rd Street, Des Moines

Dubuque
- Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
- Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
- Detachment 1, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 130 soldiers total)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
Peosta Community Center, 7896 Burds Road, Peosta

Denison
Company D, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approx. 50 soldiers) Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Denison High School, Fine Arts Center, 819 N. 16th Street, Denison

Eagle Grove
Detachment 1, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approx. 40 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 11 a.m.

Estherville
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approx. 80 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 11 a.m.
Estherville Armory, 1704 3rd Avenue South, Estherville

Iowa City
Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 100 soldiers)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
City High School, 1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City

Iowa Falls
Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 75 soldiers)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
Iowa Falls High School, 1903 Taylor Avenue, Iowa Falls

Johnston
- Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Newton unit)
(approx. 100 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Camp Dodge Freedom Center, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston

Johnston
- Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
- Troop B, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
(approx. 130 soldiers total)
Thurs., Aug. 5, 10 a.m., Ankeny High School, 1302 North Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

Keokuk
Detachment 1, 832nd Engineer Company (approx. 55 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 10 a.m., Keokuk High School, 2285 Middle Road, Keokuk

LeMars
Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry (approx. 80 Soldiers)
Thurs., Aug. 5, 9 a.m., Le Mars High School, 921 3rd Avenue SW, Le Mars

Marshalltown
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approx. 50 soldiers)
Fri., Aug. 6, 10 a.m.
Marshalltown Community College, 3700 S. Center St, Marshalltown

Mount Pleasant
832nd Engineer Company (approx. 50 soldiers)
Fri., July 30, 10 a.m.
Mount Pleasant High School, 2104 S. Grand Avenue, Mount Pleasant

Oelwein
Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approx. 40 soldiers)
Tues., Aug. 3, 10 a.m.
Oelwein Middle School, 300 12th Avenue SE, Oelwein

Red Oak
Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approx. 110 soldiers)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Red Oak High School, 2011 N. 8th Street, Red Oak

Sheldon
Saturday, July 24
Selected members of the 2168th Transportation Company
(approx. 70 soldiers)
Sat., July 24, 1 p.m.
Sheldon High School Football Field, Sheldon

Shenandoah
- Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
- Detachment 2, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Corning unit)
(approx. 100 soldiers total)
Sun., Aug. 1, 10 a.m.
Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive, Shenandoah

Storm Lake
Company G, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approx. 80 soldiers)
Fri., July 30,11 a.m.
Storm Lake High School, 621 Tornado Drive, Storm Lake

Sioux City
- Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
- Company D, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approx. 170 soldiers total)
Thurs., Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m.
Sioux City East High School, 5011 Mayhew Drive, Sioux City