Thunder Times A Bi-Monthly Chronicle of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team Volume 1
THIS ISSUE From the Top Current News
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Frontline Frames
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Play It Safe
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Chappy’s Chat
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Beats by Gee
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Meet Your Team
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Mail Call
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155th ABCT FAMILY READINESS 24 HOUR HOTLINE 601-313-0155
Issue 13 August 15, 2018
FROM THE TOP Hello Dixie Thunder Family, my name is Lt. Col. Martin Fox. I am the executive officer for the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team. I have Lt. Col. Martin Fox been a part of this Executive Officer, brigade for over 155th ABCT 20 years and this is my third mobilization or deployment with them. It has been honor to serve alongside some of the best men and women our great country has. I want to say thank you to the Soldiers who continue to work tirelessly to accomplish the different missions we are conducting in this region. To the employers and supporters, we are deeply grateful for the care packages and support we have received from all over Mississippi and the United States. Every card
or care package provides a Soldier a connection to home. Thank you for your prayers and support for our Soldiers as they and their families sacrifice to preserve our freedom and way of life. Finally, to the families, it has been a long road through train up and mobilization. Thank you for your unwavering support and sacrifice as you stand in the gap for your Soldier while they are away. We have been in country for a little over a month and I’m sure you are as busy at home as your loved ones are here. I know we are all looking forward to spending Easter at home, until then, thank you for your sacrifice and support. You will forever be a part of the legacies of our great Nation and the 155th ABCT. Thank you. THUNDER 5
CURRENT NEWS From left, Sgt. Jeremiah Adams, an M1 armor crewman assigned to Company C, and Spc. Ethan Saylor, an infantryman assigned to Company A, both with 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry Regiment, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard, pose for a photo after being announced as Soldier and NCO of the Month, on August 3, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
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FRONTLINE FRAMES
Spc. Chayse Walters, 106 SPT, zeroes his M4 Carbine on a range near Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
Soldiers with the 1-18 CAV conduct sniper training as part of the Jordanian Operational Engagement Program. (Photo by Sgt. Chris Nava)
S A F E T Y
Soldiers assigned to 106 SPT, prepare vehicles for movement to Udairi Range for weapons qualification. (Photo by Cpl. Hailey Fairchild)
Spc. Trey Wilson, 2-137 IN, pulls security while conducting squad situational training exercise rehearsals at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. (Photo by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHY IS PPE IMPORTANT? • MAKING THE WORKPLACE SAFE INCLUDES PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONS, PROCEDURES, TRAINING AND SUPERVISION. • ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WORK SAFELY AND RESPONSIBLY. • EVEN WHERE ENGINEERING CONTROLS AND SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK HAVE BEEN APPLIED, SOME HAZARDS MIGHT REMAIN. • PPE IS USED TO REDUCE THE RISK.
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CHAPPY’S CHAT Many of you might not know my love for professional wrestling. For me, it’s entertaining and something fun to watch with my kids. In fact, one of my daughters loves to watch wrestling with me. I have many wrestlers that I love to watch but the one that I admire the most is 17time champion, John Cena. After one of his matches in 2009, he gave us the “NevMaj. David Morris er Give Up” speech. Here is what he said the night after Chaplain, 2-198 AR he lost the match. “This is kind of hard to understand, but sometimes you can try so hard at something. Sometimes you can be so prepared and still fail. And when every time you fail, it’s painful, causes sadness. And especially as I saw last night, it causes disappointment. I’ve often said: A man’s character is not judged after he celebrates a victory, but by what he does when his back is against the wall. So no matter how great the setback, how severe the failure—You never give up, you brush yourself off, you push forward, you move on, you adapt, you overcome—-THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE!!!” Regardless of what you think about wrestling, this statement can help us when we feel we’ve been knocked down, stressed out because life is tough, or worried about what the next day delivers us. Sometimes we do fail and it does
cause pain in our lives but that should never define us. Sometimes it causes sadness and disappointment but that doesn’t define our character. When adversity hits us, and it always does…marriage challenges, financial issues, emotional stress, work overload, deadlines, children’s demands, the overall stress of a deployment, sometimes we absolutely feel like our back is up against the wall. But in the words of Cena….let us never give up; get up and brush ourselves off, push forward, move on, adapt, and overcome. I challenge all of us to be resilient, to bounce back. If you need some help, ask for it. If accountability is what you need, ask your battle buddy or your neighbor. If counseling is what you need, seek a Chaplain or behavioral health specialist. No matter where you are in life, you can overcome. I want to share with you my life verse that helps me in times of difficulty and I just need to hear from the Lordon how to overcome. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” Remember that when you need some encouragement.
Grace and Peace, CH Morris
Beats by Gee Story by Spc. Jovi Prevot
Despite increased workloads, and often long hours, deployments are a great way to work on one’s self. One Soldier viewed this deployment as a chance to hone his craft. Spc. Marqueze McGee, a motor transport operator assigned to Company A, 106th Support Battalion, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard, is an amateur music producer with dreams of a career in the music industry. “I’m a military guy, an 88M, I also produce beats,” said McGee. A native of Hollandale, Miss., McGee has been creating music since his early teens. “It’s a hobby of mine, I started in middle school, I started taking it serious about two years ago,” he said. For the Tougaloo College student, inspiration comes from various places. “Sometimes a melody, I hear in my head and I play it out on the keyboard and go from there,” said McGee. McGee has no formal musical training, but he is still able to play melodies on his synthesizer. “I actually don’t have any training, I play the piano by ear,” said McGee. He works tirelessly on his off time to produce music. “I try to make at least five beats a day,” he said. Though an artist himself, he is focused on his customer. “I try to think of the artist first,” he said. “I don’t even name my beats, I name them “untitled’ then a number. I don’t want to influence their song, just inspire it.” Every artist has influences, and McGee is no different.
“[Some of my] influences [are] Big K.R.I.T., he’s a Mississippi guy,” he said. “Atlanta artists and producers, some New York like Nas and Jay-Z, those type of guys I am a big 90s Fan.” This deployment has given McGee not only the time work on his music, but also the money to invest in new equipment. “I am actually waiting on a new keyboard to get here right now,” he said explaining how his current equipment is nearly worn out. Once his deployment is complete, McGee will return to his home in Jackson, Miss. tocomplete his degree and continue to pursue his dream of a career in the music industry.
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MEET YOUR TEAM I’m Major Christopher Jurney, and I’ve lived and breathed the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team my entire 17-year career in the military. Currently, I’m the brigade operations officer charged with planning and resourcing the brigade’s training and operations for its nine battalions, which includes 1-18 CAV of California and 1-158 IN of Arizona. My team Maj. Christopher Jurney S3, 155th ABCT works tirelessly to plan operations, issue orders, battle track, and resource down to the battalions to provide the conditions for success in training, kinetic operations, and partnership missions with regional allies. The journey proved to be challenging to become the first National Guard ABCT to assume the Operation Spartan Shield mission. The brigade executed one of the most difficult mobilization training events the Army offers, including a 90 day field exercise.
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The 155th ABCT immediately transitioned to draw a full complement of combat platforms from Army Prepositioned Stock, conducted a relief in place with 2/1 Armored Division and executed a joint partnership operation with the United Arab Emirates. Not to mention this was conducted in the heat and harsh climate of Kuwait. The ability of this team humbles me, and makes me proud to be a member. Thank you, Soldiers of the 155th. Your hard work and dedication stands above all, and I pray each of you realize the accomplishments your sacrifice has spurned. I know I do. Godspeed and Dixie Thunder!!! Christopher Jurney MAJ, AR
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Parting Shot
1-155 IN conducts a mortar live-fire training exercise at a range near Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on August 5, 2018. (Photo Illustration by Spc. Jovi Prevot)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP! APP STORE & GOOGLE PLAY PUBLISHED BY THE 155TH ABCT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE PAO - 1st Lt. Terry Hill II PAO NCOIC - Staff Sgt. Michael Williams PA SPECIALIST - Spc. Jovi Prevot PA SPECIALIST - Sgt. Brittany Johnson
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