Achieving Excellence: ‘Raider’ Squadron wins Army Deployment Excellence Award
FORT RILEY, Kan. – A small group of Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stand proudly in formation on Raider Field to celebrate their recognition of winning the all Army large unit category for the Deployment Excellence Award (DEA) here recently. The ‘’Raider” Squadron as well as the rest of the 4th IBCT “Dragon” Brigade is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in the summer. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Scott Lamberson, 4IBCT PAO)
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Story by: SSG Gene A. Arnold
4IBCT PAO
FORT RILEY, Kan. – "The biggest thing is that we didn't know we were being assessed, or that this program was in place," said Lt. Col. Matthew Cody, the commander of the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, about his squadron winning the all Army large unit category for the Deployment Excellence Award (DEA) here recently.
The Squadron is one on two units recognized annually in the large category at the battalion or above level. Also recognized at the small unit level was the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop of the "Raiders" Squadron.
"I didn't know we were being looked at for this recognition, so it was a pleasant surprise; this is just how we do business," he added.
"This was a team effort and every Solder had a part in the success of the squadron and I'm grateful that the leaders and troopers were doing the right thing," said Cody.
This award is a part of the Chief of Staff's Combined Logistics Excellence Award program, the areas of emphasis that are awarded annually is maintenance, supply operations, and deployment. Several factors come into play when selecting winners for these areas of emphasis, but the DEA is intended to find practices in both training, logistics, as well as pre-deployment, deployment activities, and re-deployment shared with other units.
Based off the criteria passed down from the 1st Inf. Div. and the 4th IBCT "Dragon" Brigade from the Organizational Inspection Program (OIP), the "Raiders" tailored the system to them specifically to follow the standards and set the bar high. Proper movement of personnel, equipment and maintaining accountability of the more than 200 pieces of rolling stock and 31 connexes from Fort Riley to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., solidified they were prepared, flexible and attentive to details of their mission.
"Obviously, brigade and division did a great job in setting the standards to follow and our unit movement office did a excellent job in following those standards," he said.
The rear detachment squadron command and a senior noncommissioned officer are scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., in June to receive the award.