"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."
Henry V by William Shakespeare


In the Fall of 2006, the newly formed 1-40th Calvary Regiment deployed from Ft Richardson, AK in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom V.  For many of us it would be our first combat deployment.  We came from all corners of the country, from different social and economic backgrounds, united in the common mission of defending America's freedom and bringing it to the suppressed people of Iraq. 


We deployed to Southern Baghdad, an area rarely visited by previous units because of severity of the enemy threat.  Daily we patrolled the fields and outlying areas stemming the flow of IED making material and weapons into Baghdad central.  We saw an overabundance of fighting from IEDs, firefights, and complex ambushes to mortar attacks and suicide bombers. 


We lost several of our close friends and leaders, who are pictured above.  Names like 1LT Thomas Martin, SGT Robert Montgomery, and SGT Lance "Doc" Springer will never be forgotten.  We also sustained a numerous amount of injuries resulting from this highly volatile area of operation.  


The fact that during "The Surge" a heavy mechanized infantry battalion of over a thousand soldiers took over less than half of our Area of Operation we patrolled on foot with just a few hundred paratroopers is a testament to the importance of our area. 


Upon our redeployment the Squadron was awarded the Valorous Unit Award for our service.  Through it all, we banded together relying on each other day in and day out for almost 16 months of solid fighting, forming lifelong bonds indescribable to those who have not been through the hell of combat.  There were moments of both intimacy and isolation, unparalleled to most other human endeavors or experiences.


Since returning from Iraq in late 2007, we have gone on to do some extraordinary things.  Some of us went on to further our military careers in storied units such as the Rangers and Special Forces; while others have attended prestigious schools  and finally others have become husbands, fathers, doctors, firefighters, park rangers, lawyers, coaches, and quite possibly your next door neighbor. 



Though the years have passed since our deployment and we have scattered to the wind, we still feel this strong bond of brotherhood to each other which can only be formed in the crucible of combat.



Over Veterans' Day Weekend in 2014 a group of us gathered in Gatlinburg, TN to share stories, talk about things most will never share with others outside of this close brotherhood, and honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice so we could live to fight another day.  It was a fantastic event reconnecting with guys some of us hadn't seen in 7 years.  We shared a lot of laughs and a few cries over the four days we were together.  It was a very therapeutic event for all those who attended, more so than many expected.  We all left vowing not to wait another 7 years before the next reunion.  We agreed that we will have to make this a tradition, meeting up every few years to reconnect.  We hope to have a reunion every five years.




Because of this promise to each other we gathered again on Veterans' Day Weekend 2017 outside of Ft Collins, Colorado.  Once again it was an incredible event for all those who attended.  Even though it had been 10 years since our return from Iraq, it felt like it was just the other day we were pulling guard shifts together.  We hope to gather again, in another 5 years, in 2022.  For this reunion we are looking to meet in the Hill Country of Texas, between Austin and San Antonio.


By helping back this project you are making this and other reunions possible.  The objective of this page is twofold.  First we hope to defray most of the cost of this upcoming reunion and save the rest for reunions in the future.  The money will be used for such things as renting the location and on food.  Second, with a portion of the leftover funds, we hope to offset some of the cost for those without the financial means to make the journey to the reunions. 


The money will be deposited in its own bank account, specifically set up for the reunion funds.  Only those on the planning committee will have access to it and a vote will be taken before money is spent.  Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to support in some other manner.  We are all eternally grateful for your consideration of support for this worthy cause.