Texas Guardmembers make history in Iraq

By Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin
United States Division – South

Army Sgt. 1st Class Herbert Cox (left), Army Maj. David “Eric” Tyler (center), and Army Sgt. 1st Class Gabriel Abalos, Soldiers with the 36th Inf. Div., display the 49th Armored Div. patch in a corridor at United States Division-South headquarters Jan. 7. The 49th first saw combat in 2004 when it deployed 180 Texas National Guard Soldiers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James Kennedy Benjamin)
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BASRAH, Iraq (1/20/11) – After World War II, the National Guard was authorized to create two armored divisions: the 49th and 50th.

The 50th Armored Div. stood up in New Jersey and the 49th in Texas, and both served as strategic reserves for the Army during the Cold War.

In the ’60s, the 49th Div. was called up in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis but never left American soil: It seemed the 49th was destined never to face an enemy combatant on foreign ground.

In 2004, a company-sized cavalry element from the Texas National Guard made history when 180 of its Citizen-Soldiers deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom II, becoming the first unit of the 49th Div. to deploy before it was deactivated in May of that year.

David “Eric” Tyler was among the Soldiers of that cavalry unit.

Then a young lieutenant and executive officer for the troop, Tyler recalled his experience at Camp Ashraf, a small detainment facility.

“We had a unit that was motivated, ready to go,” said Tyler, a 12-year veteran of the Austin, Texas police force. “We were all excited. That is how a cavalry unit is.”

Tyler, a major with military intelligence for United States Division-South, is among four Soldiers of the 36th Inf. Div. who last served under the 49th Armored Div.

“This thing never saw combat ever,” Tyler said pointing to his patch, “except for when we were there.”

Army Sgt. 1st Class Herbert Cox of Temple, Texas, and the battle noncommissioned officer in-charge for USD-S, is another Soldier who wears the 49th Armored Div. “Lone Star” patch.

During deployments, Soldiers would boast about the different combat patches each wore on his sleeve, said Cox, a 20-year veteran.

“Only four of us here can say that we have been with the 49th,” Cox said.

A couple of months into their deployment, the unit was reorganized to become the 36th Inf. Div., making history yet again, as the Soldiers became the first full-sized element from the Texas National Guard to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This small band of brothers was the last to wear the “Lone Star” patch and the first to wear the “T-Patch.”

Army Brig. Gen. William L. Smith, deputy commanding general of maneuver for the 36th Inf. Div. and USD-S, was the squadron commander at the time. He explained the reason for the reorganization.

“While they were in Iraq, we got orders from the Department of the Army to change the 49th Armored Division to the 36th Infantry Division,” Smith said.

“What that gave the Army was something more flexible and versatile. You can use an infantryman to do different things. To keep a tank force training, it takes a lot of money and a lot of time, and you need special places to do it like at Fort Hood. A light infantry mission does not cost that much in maintenance, and you can train the Soldiers just about anywhere there is dirt.”

By Army directive, the armored division transformed into an infantry division.

“That is why they are authorized to wear that patch, and no one else,” Smith said.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Gabriel Abalos, now the division operations center sergeant major for USD-S, said being a Soldier during the transition was extraordinary.

“It was amazing,” said Abalos. “It is now a part of history.”

Serving under the “Lone Star” was a learning experience for the unit, Cox said. When the unit reached its destination, the Soldiers discovered they were not doing cavalry missions, but would be conducting military police operations.

“I think we did pretty good: from tankers to MPs,” Cox said with a smile. “The missions we did pick up were executed to the best of our knowledge."

One of the memories that sticks with Tyler to this day was a close encounter with a roadside bomb.

“I can remember the smoke going around, engulfing my truck,” Tyler said. “I can still see that one in slow motion. That is still pretty wild.”

Each Soldier had a different perspective on the deployment.

“There were no individuals there,” Cox said about the unit cohesion. “We all helped each other out. That is why our mission was successful. It was a team effort.”

To Abalos, being a Guardsman brought an advantage to the field of battle.

“We [Citizen-Soldiers] bring two things to the table: our military side and our civilian side,” Abalos said, adding that some Soldiers were electricians and mechanics, which helped when the air conditioners broke down or tactical vehicles failed to start.

All three Soldiers agree that the living conditions and overall environment in Basrah are better than what they had in ‘04.

“It is totally different,” Tyler said recalling his days of living in tents and dealing with the extreme heat and poor insulation. “Here is so much nicer,” he said, sitting in a fortified building with reliable central air conditioning.

For Cox, it was the little luxuries in life like Internet and phones, often taken for granted, that made a difference. For the husband and father of two, being able to not only talk to his family, but seeing them through live-video chatting made the transition easier.

“It brings your family a little closer to you,” Cox said. “That is a big moral-boost right there.”

Tyler, Cox and Abalos are three of the four Soldiers on this deployment serving in Basrah. The fourth Soldier, Sergeant 1st Class Gilbert Flores, is in Kuwait serving as a 36th Inf. Div. liaison for troops entering and departing Iraq.

The four Soldiers will be making history again, alongside fellow Texans of the 36th Inf. Div., as they close down U.S. operations in southern Iraq.

To Abalos, the significance of taking off one patch in exchange for another never dawned on him until recently, he said.

“We are actually the first ones to wear the 36th (T-patch),” Abalos said. “It is a big thing… to end one history and start another was an amazing thing.”

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