User:Mihalko
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First Sergeant (Retired) Ron Mihalko , the "Tie-Dye Guy", enlisted at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), Pittsburgh, PA on 6 June 1983 and retired on 31 October 2003. Currently living in Forst (Unterfranken), Germany and working as a hausmeister with Immobilien Service Deutschland.
Career Summary
[edit]OSUT (One Station Unit Training), C-1-1, Fort Knox, KY 25 October 1983
- 6th cycle on M1 Abrams
- Honor Platoon, 1st Platoon
Armor Crewman, B 2/8 Cav, 1st Cav Div, FT Hood, TX, Mar 84 - Apr 85
- One gunnery as a PFC Gunner
- Two months with Red Thrust (Soviet Equipment Unit)
Armor Crewman, B 3-64 AR, 3ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Apr 85 - Jun 86
- PLDC Commandant's List, Commandant's Award, Leadership Award
- Conducted border patrols from Camps Lee, Harris, and Greely
- Selected as Battalion and Brigade Soldier of the Quarter
- Finalist to the Division Soldier of the Year Board
Gunner/ Tank Commander, A 3-64 AR, 3ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jun 86 - Dec 93
- Gunner during CAT ‘87 Competition, placing 3rd of 24 platoons internationally.
- Selected as Battalion NCO of the Month 3 times
- Conducted security patrols for the Missau USAREUR Ammunition Depot
- BNCOC Commandant’s List
- Inducted into the Sergeant Morales Club
- Selected as Battalion NCO of the Year
- Deployed to Operations Desert Shield/ Storm as Tank Commander
- ANCOC Commandant’s List
Tank Commander, D 2-64 AR, 3ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jan 94 – Aug 94
- “Top Gun” in the Company with a 985
- Battalion High Tank Platoon TT XII twice consecutive
Platoon Sergeant, D 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Aug 94 – Dec 98
- Served as Platoon Sergeant as a Staff Sergeant
- “Top Gun” in the Company with a 989
- Battalion High Tank Platoon TT XII during 3 Gunneries
- Deployed the platoon to Ft. Riley, KS for 2 weeks during Peace Keeper ’95 to execute a Multi-National Checkpoint with the Russian unit.
- Deployed as IFOR and SFOR to Bosnia-Herzogovina
- Served as First Sergeant during 2 Gunneries and 1 CMTC rotations
- Served as First Sergeant for skeleton Company to deactivate and turn-in tanks
Battalion Schools NCO, HHC 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jan 99 – May 99
Operations Sergeant Major, HHC 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, May 99 - Jul 99
- Selected to be the Battalion Operations Sergeant Major as a SFC
- Participated in Mountain Eagle Exercise
- Deployed the Battalion to Kosovo, KFOR 1A
Operations Sergeant, HHC 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jul 99 – Feb 00
- Performed operations as a Battle Captain while deployed to Kosovo
Platoon Sergeant, C 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Feb 00 - Oct 00
- High Tank Platoon TT XII within the Company
First Sergeant, B 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Oct 00- Jul 03
- "TOP GUN" Company for three Gunneries
- Deployed Company to Kosovo, KFOR 4A
Retired, First Sergeant, Schweinfurt, Germany, 31 Oct 03
Awards and decorations
[edit]- Order of Saint George, Bronze award, Schweinfurt, Germany
- Legion of Merit
- Army Commendation Medal (3rd award)
- Army Achievement Medal (10th award)
- Good Conduct Medal (6th award)
- National Defense Service Medal (Bronze Star 2nd award)
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
- Southwest Asia Service Medal (Bronze Star- Defense and Liberation of Kuwait)
- Kosovo Campaign Medal (Bronze Star 2nd award)
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Armed Forces Service Medal
- NCO Professional Development Ribbon (3rd award)
- Army Service Ribbon
- Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd award), 18 1/2 consecutive years on Conn Barracks, Schweinfurt, Germany
- NATO Medal (Bosnia)
- NATO Medal (Kosovo 2nd award)
- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
- Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
- V Corps Distinguished Small Unit Award
- Army Superior Unit Award
- Marksmanship Badge (Expert Pistol), (Expert Rifle), (Expert Tank Weapons)
Military Education
[edit]- 1983 Armor Crewman OSUT, FT Knox, KY
- 1984 Combat Lifesaver Course, FT Hood, TX
- 1985 Bundeswehr Exchange Program, 3 months, 354 Pz Bn, Hammelburg, Germany
- 1986 PLDC, Kitzigen, Germany
- 1986 Tank Crew Evaluator Course, Vilseck, Germany
- 1987 Small Arms Maintenance Course, Vilseck, Germany
- 1988 NBC Defense Course, Würzburg, Germany
- 1989 BNCOC, Hohenfels, Germany
- 1989 Engineer Construction Course
- 1990 Army Retention Course, Würzburg, Germany
- 1993 ANCOC, FT Knox, KY
- 1994 Army Retention Course, Kitzigen, Germany
- 1998 Tank Crew Evaluator Course, Vilseck, Germany
- 2000 USAREUR CDR/ 1SG Course, Vilseck, Germany
- 2001 First Sergeant Course, FT Bliss, TX