Each year, on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is observed as a "day on, not a day off." MLK Day of Service is intended to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King's vision of a "Beloved Community." It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

Lieutenant Colonel LaFlash is proud to announce the Soldiers of the Quarter for Fourth Quarter 2018.
These soldiers truly set the example of what it means to live up to the Army Values.
They have been awarded the Soldier's Medal in recognition of their dedicated service.

Alpha Company - Corporal Jack Ryan
Bravo Company - Specialist Harvey Moro

Corporal Jack Ryan -
Tell us a little about yourself. 
Hello, my name is Jack Ryan, I live in Romania and I am 21 years old.  Whenever I am not at work I like to play games or watch TV Series on Netflix. I like to lead a lot, this is mostly why I might be so into milsim units and everything.
What is your favorite aspect of the unit?
My favourite aspect of the unit is that you get a lot of opportunities and if you do a good job, you get noticed and appreciated for the work you put in. This is what keeps me going everyday. The fact that I put in work and people are grateful for it.
Any favorite/funny/memorable moment throughout your whole time in the unit? 
Oh yes, definitely. At this one FTX, our squad was all messed up because our usual SL and one of the FTLs were both away and we had an acting squad lead. The idea of that FTX was to work on our airborne insertion, so.. We had to pick parachutes and i'm not sure if our acting SL got it wrong or just didn't understand, but we ended up taking the wrong parachutes. So as we dropped from the plane, we couldn't direct our way of landing because we had "non-steerable parachutes" so we literally dropped wherever the wind took us. Some of the guys were lucky, they were dropped in the vicinity of the rendez-vous point, but I got dropped 2.5km away, across some village. It was frustrating at the time being, but now, looking back to it, it makes me laugh.
Any advice to give to your fellow soldiers? 
An advice I'd give to everyone would be to never stop trying. If you don't succeed on your first time, don't worry. A second time will come. Just keep learning and don't repeat the same mistakes.
What army value is the most important to you and why? 
I would have to say Personal Courage and Integrity, I can't choose one. Well, the most important army value to me, at least, would be Loyalty. And I'm not talking about loyalty to the army and the US flag. I'm talking about loyalty to your battle buddies, to your direct combat supervisor and of course, loyalty to your COs and NCOs (if you are enlisted) and also Senior NCOs (if you are a NCO).
Any valuable lessons you have learned while being in the unit?
I learned that if you're honest about the mistakes you make, people will not get mad at you. And also, if you're working hard, you'll get noticed.

Specialist Harvey Moro -
Tell us a little about yourself. 
I'm a stay at home kind of guy, I literally have one real-life friend and that would be my best friend. I don't like going out that much and as all of you have seen, I'm basically on most of the time. Things that you might not know about me is that I'm a serious person who knows how to have fun and I enjoy intellectual talks that can go on for hours.
What is your favorite aspect of the unit?
Having you guys as a second family, valuable friends can be found even in the most of unsuspecting places such as this unit.
Any favorite/funny/memorable moment throughout your whole time in the unit? 
Too many to mention but what really stood out was SSG Stowe's cornbread comedy and our conversation about how many kinds of hams are out there in the world, another thing is SGT Keaton's corny but funny jokes, and just all of the stupid conversations I've had on team speak with my guys.
Any advice to give to your fellow soldiers? 
Respect everyone and before you judge someone, understand them first. Self-awareness is key.
What army value is the most important to you and why? 
Respect, because respecting someone allows you to understand them and why they are the way they are.
Any valuable lessons you have learned while being in the unit?
Not valuable lessons but I have learned more about myself being in this unit. What I'm capable of and the kinds of responsibilities I can take on.

Welcome back soldiers! As we move into 2019, lets reflect on the success we had in 2018 and set the bar high for the year to come!
We will be having Airborne School, Air Assault, and Warrior Leaders Course in the coming months, so be on the look out for those!
Congratulations to our Soldier's of the Quarter!
 

Commissioned as Second Lieutenant
Mathew Carter
 

Warranted as Warrant Officer 1
Quincy Morton
 

Promoted to Corporal
John Bolten, Nuno Moreira
 

Promoted to Specialist
Erik Babol, Wouter Bensink, James Milan


 

Promoted to Private First Class
Phillip Horne, Nate Hoser, James McKay, Bailey Smith, Yonatan Suponitsky


 

Soldier's Medal (Soldier of the Quarter
Jack Ryan (Alpha Company), Harvey Moro (Bravo Company)


 

Army Commendation Medal
Jasmine Johnson


 

Army Achievement Medal
Guillermo Ancheta, Isaiah Delgado, David Keaton, Arba McCullough, Nuno Moreira, , Harvey Moro, Eliel Piispanen, Anthony Rizzo, Phillip Stowe


 

Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Jonathan Feagin


 

Good Conduct Medal
Quinton Simmons, Arthur Cantu, Elgin Gilmore, Kalin Grigorov, Eliel Piispanen, Geovanie Hernandez, Nuno Moreira, Anthony Jones, Wouter Bensink, Erik Babol, Drew Schnieder, Yonatan Suponistsky, Patrick Verot, Adi Bar, Quincy Morton, Harvey Moro, David Keaton, James Young, Keith Lillie, Isaiah Delgado, Mike Tymms


 

We're excited to announce that Insurgency: Sandstorm's full release will be available on PC as of December 12, 2018!  Bravo Company Misfits under the command of Company Commander First Lieutenant Doug Lipnitz and First Platoon Leader OCS Matthew Carter, First Platoon First Squad Jesters will push towards active recruitment within Insurgency Sandstorm.   First Lieutenant Lipnitz and Bravo Company started the initial transformation to Insurgency Sandstorm in November 2017 and over the last year having soldier participate in closed Alphas and Beta to help build the foundation of First Platoons launch into Sandstorm.  

Prepare for battle with the new launch trailer, and then get online at 6pm CET/9am PST for your choice of co-op or competitive, large- or small-scale matches in this fictional, contemporary Middle Eastern conflict. Insurgency: Sandstorm is a game of team-based tactics and objective-oriented gameplay complete with player versus player, competitive matchmaking and co-operative game modes versus AI. Your soldier’s appearance, weapons, attachments, armor, and equipment are all up to you. Call in airstrikes, use vehicles with mounted weapons, and equip a wide range of specialist weaponry from grenades to drones to C4 explosives.

Prepare for a hardcore depiction of combat with deadly ballistics, light attack vehicles, destructive artillery, and unprecedented audio design putting the fear back into the genre. Death comes fast, ammunition must be carefully managed, and the environment must be tactically navigated at every step toward victory.

Command Staff wishes all our soldier safe and happy holidays!
Holiday Furlough will begin on the the 21st and last until the 2nd of January. During this time, you do not need to TPR, LOA, or Muster. We will still be having regular events though!
Our annual New Year's Pub-A-Thon will go as usual, hope to see you there!
 

Promoted to Staff Sergeant
Phillip Stowe
 

Promoted to Corporal
Eliel Piispanen, Jack Ryan
 

Promoted to Specialist
Jon Bryan, Nuno Moreira, Masaki Moro, Anthony Rizzo, Timothy Whalen
 

Promoted to Private First Class
Erik Babol, Wouter Bensink, James Milan


 

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Mike Murakami


 

Army Commendation Medal
Joseph Rizzo


 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Jasmine Johnson, Garry Beaudoin, Daniel Shade


 

Armed Forces Service Medal
Garry Beaudoin, Wolffe Fives, Kalin Grigorov, Daniel Shade


 

Army Achievement Medal
Matthew Baldwin


 

Good Conduct Medal
Dana Cantu, Doug Lipnitz, Mike Murakami, Garry Beaudoin, Phillip Stowe, Hunter Hannaford, Walter O'Reilly, Jack Ryan, Ty Bowen, Michael Marks, Timothy Whalen, Yarden Nissan, Nate Hoser


 

Soldiers,

The weather has gotten colder, and the days  shorter. The leaves have changed and fallen from their branches. For us, late November is more than a seasonal change: It is a time for spending with Family and Friends

Many, however, are not so fortunate as to spend time with their Families. This Thanksgiving Day, I ask each of you to remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen separated from their loved ones and pray for their safe return. Their sacrifice makes it possible for others to know freedom from oppression and fear and instills hope for the future. For the Families with loved ones deployed, the holiday can be challenging. Thanksgiving is about Family and our community is a Family.

I think it is worth taking a moment to express some gratitude and reflect on this day, which was set aside by our Nation to reflect and be grateful for the freedom, and opportunity we have here.  As John F. Kennedy said, “We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”

Wherever you are, if you are at home, with family, traveling, or just enjoying something you take pleasure and find peace in, Command Staff  and I wish you the very best this thanksgiving and are grateful for all you do serving without our unit!    And of course "If you drive don't drink, if you drink don't drive and if you drink, don't drink alone!" 

- Battleboar 6

Happy Birthday to the US Army's Third Infantry Division!