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1HBCT Public Affairs
FORT STEWART, Ga. - Soldiers and Family Members from 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team,spent hump day a little differently this week; most swapping their uniforms for either sweatshirts and jeans or Halloween costumes to celebrate Fall with a festival that offered something for everyone. "In the [Family ReadinessGroup steering committee we decided we wanted to have regular events, so about once a month we try to do something," said 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Jason Garkey. "For this month of October we decided we would host a fall festival." The festival was geared toward Families and single Soldiers, with stations like face painting and a bounce house for the children, and the "trunk-or-treat" competition that any Soldier could participate in to try and win a four day pass. It has worked out really well that the steering committee is actually doing things for the battalion; they don't just treat it like a monthly requirement, Garkey explained. Getting the Families involved raises morale and builds battalion camaraderie. Holding the festival midweek also helped with Soldier morale. "We wanted to host this on a Wednesday to do something a little bit different," he said. "We figured this was a great way to break up the middle of the week." Rosa Washington, the FRG leader for Company C, said ensuring all the companies participated really helped make the event that much better. "I brought the face paint, some of the cakes, and my husband helped decorate," she said. "The Families and kids getting together is great because there are so many other children for them to mingle with." For Washington, that is all that matters. "It's all about the kids; anything for the kids I am on board for," she added with a smile
Left: Captain Cassie Bailey and her daughter walk through the hay maze during 3rd BSTB, 1HBCT's Family fall festival Oct. 19.
Right: The daughter of a 3rd BSTB, 1HBCT, Soldier grins as she shows off her candy during 3rd BSTB's Family Fall festival, Oct. 19. The festival was hosted to bring the Families and Soldiers together to build camaraderie and morale within the battalion.
Pfc. Emily Knitter
1HBCT Public Affairs
 FORT STEWART, Ga. - Before the Civil War, brick forts like [Fort Pulaski] were the most common defense against overseas enemies. The design was known throughout the world to be able to withstand almost anything- until the invention of the rifle cannon.
Then, in one battle, as Union Soldiers fired this new weapon from a mile away on Tybee Island, they destroyed an entire wall of the fort and almost hit the armory. As the Confederates surrendered, the repercussion was felt world-wide, as every similar fort went from being virtually impenetrable to completely obsolete.
Today, Fort Pulaski is a national monument commemorating the significance of that battle, and its effect on the history of the United States. Run by the National Park Service, the fort offers daily tours and musket firings, and weekly cannon firings.
That is all information Sgt. Wayne Rogers is able to recite from memory, and that's just the tip of it.
Sergeant Rogers, a company operations noncommissioned officer with Co. B, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, volunteers two Saturdays a month at Fort Pulaski. Dressing up in colonial-era garb, he helps answer guest questions as they explore the history within the park and he assists in the weekly cannon firings.
"This is the first fort I have volunteered at," he said. "I've always wanted to, but with Iraq and being overseas I never could."
His interest in national parks began as a child. "The first park I ever went to was Gettysburg," he explained. "Every summer from when I was seven till I was 15, my grandfather would take us out there and it stuck. I've always liked the Civil War, so Pulaski was the obvious choice for me to volunteer at because it would always keep my interest."
So after visiting the park, located between Tybee Island and Savannah a few times and talking to his wife, Sgt. Rogers filled out the paperwork and two weeks later was driving to the park no longer as a visitor, but to learn how to re-enact a Civil War Soldier.
At first, it wasn't exactly what he had imagined.
Pfc. Emily Knitter
1HBCT Public Affairs
 All is peaceful at 1,200 feet. Below, the cars, homes and office buildings in Hinesville appear as if they’re part of a model railroad scene. Beyond the endless blue sky and cottony clouds, beckon the viewer to discover what new possibilities lie ahead. Staff Sergeant Vincent C. Floyd II tilts the flight yoke in the cockpit of the sunflower yellow two-seater plane he is piloting to affect a left turn. The plane tilts to its side and the journey continues on a new azimuth. For Staff Sgt. Floyd, a signal support systems specialist assigned to Company B, 1/3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, the sky has been the limit since he earned his private pilot license in late June. The Soldier said his journey to becoming a pilot really began when he was a boy.
Staff Sergeant Floyd said he developed a childhood passion for flying after being exposed to the wonders of the space industry while growing up in Florida, and from his experiences flying in airplanes with his Family to Costa Rica every year. Staff Sergeant Floyd said the desire to fly has always hovered in the periphery, but it wasn’t until he experienced his first helicopter ride in Iraq–and until he received some encouragement from a battle buddy–that he decided to commit to becoming a pilot. Upon redeployment in December of 2010, Staff Sgt. Floyd bit the bullet and signed up to take flying lessons from Trey Burruss, an instructor for a flight training company that operated out of the MidCoast Regional Airport at Wright Army Airfield on Fort Stewart. And the rest is aeronautical history. Staff Sergeant Floyd said that learning how to fly was easy because he studied hard, and because of the technical training he has received as a Soldier in the Signal Corps.The pilot said he completed his first solo flight with only 11 hours of flight time under his wings – the average pilot-in-training time before attempting a solo flight is 13-15 hours–and that he has racked up more than 70 hours of flight, which have been accomplished through flying various models of aircraft.
“It’s one of my most peaceful moments,” said Staff Sgt. Floyd of his aerial pastime.
“It’s actually turned out to be a strong reliever of stress. It lets me clear my thoughts and only think about flying the aircraft.” Burruss said Staff Sgt. Floyd was a model student who caught on fast. He said Staff Sgt. Floyd’s passion for aviation has been refreshing. “It’s a passion that carries on to every aspect of his life,” Burruss said. “That’s great to see in a world today when aviation is a scary thing for everyone. You need to have your advocates, like Vincent, who let people know it’s a great way to travel [and] it’s a great way to share experiences with people.” Staff Sergeant Floyd agreed, and said that learning how to fly has not only benefited him personally, but it has allowed him to share more of himself and his time with his wife and three young daughters. Weekend Family trips to Georgia’s coastal islands are now completed via airplanes, Staff Sgt. Floyd said. The Soldier said his Family has become as passionate about flying as he is. Staff Sergeant Floyd said his daughters are “hooked” on flying and that his 5-year old daughter, Aaliyah, in particular, often requests to sit in the copilot chair to “help” him fly. “It kind of sets goals for my children,” Staff Sgt. Floyd said. “They have fun and it inspires them to seek more than being a kid and playing all the time.” Staff Sergeant Floyd said his next goal is to submit an Army flight warrant officer packet so he can continue his military career as a pilot.
You set a goal, but [on the] pursuit to your goal you have to have smaller goals to achieve along the way,” Staff Sgt. Floyd said. “Nothing comes without effort.”
Pfc. Emily Knitter
1HBCT Public Affairs
 Soldiers and Family Members of the Desert Cat battalion gathered together for a Family fitness day, July 1, to kick off the Independence Day weekend. The event was designed to promote camaraderie and competition between the participants, as well as highlight ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the whole Family. "We have handouts we received from the hospital that talk about healthy living and we had a cooking competition that focused on healthy breakfast and dessert options," explained Lt. Col. Jason Garkey, the 1-3 Brigade Special Troops Battalion commander.
"We want everyone to understand that exercise is good, but that your diet and lifestyle also has an impact." Along with the cooking competitions, the morning offered many activities to satisfy everyone Family Members were offered a chance to crawl around inside vehicles commonly used by the battalion.
There were physical fitness tests like a relay sprint, bench-press competition, and a three-part race involving
sand bags, water jugs, and tires. "We started this morning with a four-mile ruck march, and some of the
companies held company Family runs to start the spirit of the day," said Lt. Col. Garkey. "Then we brought everybody over to the field where we had physical events and static displays so the Families can better understand what their spouses do."
The air was filled with laughter from little children in the bounce house, exploring inside vehicles, racing their parents in the relay races, and throwing water balloons at their Soldier victims. Although the humidity made it impossible not to break a sweat, the atmosphere of the day made it impossible not to break into a smile. "Today has been pretty awesome," said Spc. Mitchell Moore, an unmanned aerial vehicle operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Co., and a native of Apple Valley, Calif. "A lot of good competitions is making this
a lot of fun and it definitely boosts morale, to have all the Families out here." That was exactly what the day was
designed to do.
"This is part of our resilience program, where we are integrating the Families into battalion level events," Lt. Col. Garkey explained. "We'd like to do this kind of event every month to six-weeks to make the Families feel like they are part of the organization, so when their spouses go away for the day, they have a better understanding of what they do." The event not only brought the Families closer into the battalion, it strengthened the bond between the Soldiers. "It's always interesting when you have an organization as diverse as ours when they come together," said Lt. Col. Garkey. "During the day we may be civil engineers, we may be military intelligence, but in these types of events it is great to see we are all Soldiers." So as the morning drew to a close, the battalion filled the bleachers inside Newman Gym and the winners for events such as the "healthiest breakfast" and "fittest couple" received certificates. But the hope was that everyone received something from the day to help improve their lifestyle and their understanding of their Families, the battalion, and the Army.
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