Classmate Update

Here’s my shamefully late reporting of updates that classmates have sent me over the past year. If anyone wants to send another update to get everyone current, I’ll post it on-time, free of charge.

Ian Claxton sent a great piece on where’s he’s been, what he’s done, and who he’s seen over the past 8 years:

I got married to my high school sweetheart, Suzanne, the day after we graduated in the Cadet Chapel…some of my wedding party were some academy notables…Joe Banner (’95), David Stewart (USMAPS ‘95), Graham Rose (USMAPS ‘95), Aaron Byrd (’99), Rob Shaw (’99), Paul Weber (’99) to name a few…lots of my B-4 buds attended (Rich Schega, Steve Resch, Nate Gruver, etc.) and we had a great time.

I went to the Armor Basic course at Knox then to the Scout Platoon Leader’s Course. Then it was off to Fort Drum and 3-17 CAV. I was a SCAT PL, a Scout PL and then the HHT XO. I got a chance to go to JRTC 3 times. Even got to ‘kill’ Ryan Shaw during a rotation. Thank God for that guy…if he hadn’t picked Polk I’d have been there…also ran into Jeremy Jones, Paul Lavinga, Dan Thompson, Jen Debruin, Micah Green, Scott Seigfried, and some more classmates during rotations. Some of the folks I got to see while at Drum were Sean Mattingly, Mike Dugan, Don Herzog, Auggie Scicchitano, Bob Foster, Dave Zickafoose, Gretchen Dobert, Antonio Ignacio, Jimmy Lacaria, Cheryl Redline, Dirk Steinfort, Pete Tepper ..and others…Trent Baer’s brother Brett was my sister PL. While at Drum, Suzanne gave birth to our one and only child, Robert “Oliver” Claxton…he keeps us on our toes.

I went back to Knox for the Career Course…Todd Looney (’99), Kris Kvam (’99), Rob Whitten (’99), Kevin Scott (’97) were all in my small group…saw several more classmates at CAS3…From CAS3 I went back to Knox to Snowbird for a while until I went to the TC3 out at Gowan Field, Idaho. I was a National Guard run course and it was one of the most professional groups of instructors I’ve ever had. From TC3 I went to the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Red Cloud, Korea. I worked as the G3 Exercise Planner. I saw/worked with Frankie Cochiaosue, Dave Allen, Ian Lynch, Will Bushman, Regan Campbell, Shannon Zerbey, Aaron Close, Chris Farnsworth, Jen Farrell, Eric Leiby, Aaron Tolson and many others.

From Korea I went to the 3rd ID at Fort Stewart and deployed a month after I left Korea for Iraq. Since I’ve been on the Marne Express, I’ve run into Ed Bloom, Tim Bertocci, Justin Burns, Melissa (Grider) Ringhisen, Adam Smith, Bob Mahowald, Greg Campion, Chris Midberry, April Gasparri’s little sister, Shannon Jones, Steve Kreh, Brian O’Malley, Shawnette Rochelle, Joe Stanyer, George Tatum and others. I was first assigned to the S3 Shop in 2nd (Spartan) Brigade. I got to choose my own title so I chose Spartan Head of Iraqi Transition (some of you will get that)…I was planning for about 3 Brigades worth of Iraqi Security Forces in and around Baghdad…halfway thru the deployment I was assigned to the S3 Shop for 3-7 CAV where I am the planner. I am currently set to take command of C/3-7 CAV in August. So many of us are getting out that it is kind of scary…I now ascribe to that credo “You don’t have to be the best, just the best of what is left…” Seriously, I wish you all the best no matter what you do and where life’s road takes you. You can reach me at ianclax (at) yahoo (dot) com. God Bless!

Doug Hess sent me an update that’s probably 12 months past due by now. He writes:

Right now I’m stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, working as the S2 for 1st Bn, 10th SF Group. The battalion has recently been overrun by the class of ‘99, with Bill Torrey, Scott Miller, Ed Cerer, Will Marm, and Chris Young all here as well. About a year and a half ago I got married to Matt Coffey’s sister Maureen, and we’re enjoying married life here in Germany with our beagle puppy.

Nate Hubbard sent me an update a LONG time ago. I suspect his little boy Luke (who’s an infant in the picture) is running around like a manic by now. He writes:

I am the Brigade Planner for the 4th Brigade, 10th MTN down here at Ft Polk, hanging with Matt Duffy (B Troop CDR, 3-89 CAV) and Chris Wilkinson (Just took the Guidon!) awaiting command hopefully sometime in the next six months. I am married (Beautiful Michelle in the attached photo) and have little Luke that was born in October. Not planning any upcoming escapes from the Army, but also owe sometime for spending my Captain’s Career Course time with Jeremy Swenddall and Nate Molica at the Marine Expeditionary Warfare School.

That’s it for now.

- Alex