Paratroopers reenlist under famed Baghdad landmark

By Sgt. 1st Class Alex Licea, 3rd BCT PAO, 82nd Abn. Div., MND-BApril 28, 2009

BAGHDAD - Eighty-two paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad recite the oath of reenlistment April 23 during a ceremony at the Cross Sabers in...
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BAGHDAD - Eighty-two paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad recite the oath of reenlistment April 23 during a ceremony at the Cross Sabers in... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
BAGHDAD - Lt. Col. Dave Buckingham, commander, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, speaks to his paratroopers following a reenlistment ceremony April 23 at the Cross...
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BAGHDAD - Lt. Col. Dave Buckingham, commander, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, speaks to his paratroopers following a reenlistment ceremony April 23 at the Cross... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
BAGHDAD - Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, senior enlisted leader of Multi- National Corps - Iraq, addresses paratroopers after a reenlistment ceremony April 23 at the Cross Sabers in Baghdad. Eighty-two paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd...
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BAGHDAD - Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Grippe, senior enlisted leader of Multi- National Corps - Iraq, addresses paratroopers after a reenlistment ceremony April 23 at the Cross Sabers in Baghdad. Eighty-two paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
BAGHDAD - Command Sgt. Maj. King O. Parks, senior enlisted leader of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad, told paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment how proud he was of them...
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BAGHDAD - Command Sgt. Maj. King O. Parks, senior enlisted leader of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad, told paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment how proud he was of them... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
BAGHDAD - Senior enlisted leaders from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad, serve recently reenlisted paratroopers a barbeque style meal following a reenlistment cerem...
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BAGHDAD - Senior enlisted leaders from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Multi-National Division -Baghdad, serve recently reenlisted paratroopers a barbeque style meal following a reenlistment cerem... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BAGHDAD - Eighty-two paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division's, 3rd Brigade Combat Team raised their hands in defense of their nation during a reenlistment ceremony at Baghdad's Cross Sabers, April 23.

Paratroopers assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 82nd Abn., Multi-National Division - Baghdad took a pledge to continue serving their country in uniform in the largest ceremony during the brigade's current deployment to Iraq.

"Thank you for raising your right hand in serve to your nation, you men and women are amazing," said Lt. Col. Dave Buckingham, commander of the 5th Sqdn., 73rd Cav. Regt. "The reason our squadron is so great is because of our young leaders, our great NCOs and our young officers. We owe all of our success to you."

Buckingham, along with the squadron's senior enlisted leader, Command Sgt. Maj. Cory Kroll, presided over the ceremony and led the paratroopers in the oath of military service.

Each member of the "Panther Recon" team had his or her personal reason to reenlist and all 82 paratroopers said their dedication to continue serving had a lot of meaning especially at such a historic site.

"The reason I reenlist is because I love this unit, want to continue serving my country and want to become a leader in this regiment," said Spc. Kyle Trujillo, of Sacramento, Calif. "This event is significant because the Cross Sabers is a historical site and for us to have a ceremony here is something I will remember for the rest of my life. "

Other senior leaders from the 3rd BCT and Multi-National Corps - Iraq were also in attendance and praise the paratroopers for their commitment to the United States and serving the American people.

The event was held on the two-year anniversary of one of the regiment's darkest days. On April 23, 2007 nine paratroopers were killed when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device struck them while conducting combat operations in Al-Assad, Iraq.