Germany-based troops prep for Iraq

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Soldiers headed to Iraq take care of last-minute paperwork at the Grafenwöhr Field House on Thursday.


Germany-based troops prep for Iraq
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, November 24, 2008

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — The 172nd Infantry Brigade has cased its colors and soldiers are making final preparations to deploy on a yearlong mission to Iraq.

Sgt. Michael Taylor, 29, of Killeen, Texas, 172nd’s public affairs officer, said the brigade colors were cased during a deployment ceremony at Schweinfurt last week.

The ceremony capped the two-day "Blackhawk Rendezvous" — a series of sports events including combatives, flag football, handball, ax throwing and archery — designed to boost soldier and family morale ahead of the deployment, he said.

This week 172nd soldiers were filing through processing centers at Grafenwöhr and Schweinfurt to take care of last-minute paperwork.

Chief warrant officer Vincent Freeman, 35, of Atlantic City, N.J., who was overseeing the process at the Grafenwöhr Field House on Thursday, said soldiers were taking care of medical and dental needs, drafting wills and powers of attorney, updating life insurance policies, sorting out financial matters and arranging storage for household goods.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59033