College buddies meet for promotion ceremony

2LT George Wiley of E Co., 1-244th Attack Helicopter Battalion (AHB), Task Force 34, was promoted to 1LT by CPT Marlin Jenkins, Commander, E Company 1-244th AHB. Attending the promotion ceremony in the 1-244th AHB Motorpool, was distinguished visitor MAJ Barry L. Walsh, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division currently based at Taji.

MAJ Walsh and 1LT Wiley, natives of Lafayette, La,  met at the University of Southwest Louisiana (USL) playing intramural sports in 1993 and have been friends ever since. In the fall of 1994, Walsh approached his friend SGT Wiley and asked for some advice. Walsh had recently graduated from USL and was looking for a career. SGT Wiley recommended the Louisiana Army National Guard but Walsh had something a little more full time, including some travel, in mind. Walsh enlisted in the U.S. Army and the rest is history.

MAJ Walsh has never been stationed inside the continental U.S. since joining as a SPC in 1995. Visits to Louisiana are few and far between. It was a rare treat that the two college friends were reunited while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is 1LT Wiley’s first deployment while MAJ Walsh has been deployed to Bosnia and Afghanistan.

1LT Wiley is the Maintenance Platoon Leader for Easy Company while MAJ Walsh who was also recently promoted works in the 2nd SBCT’s S4 shop.

Congratulations to both of them and we hope that they meet again soon in a less dusty place.

SFC Robinann Jones E 1/244th AHB, TF 34
8 Dec., 2008