Armor Branch Reinvigorates Developmental Programs

96 January-March 2015 Armor Branch Reinvigorates Developmental Programs by CPT Francis A. Calimbas The Armor Branch seeks to reinvigo rate two of its core developmental pro grams. The Regimental Honorary Sys tem and Draper Leadership Award Pro gram have proven over the years to be effective in enabling professional de velopment in the leaders and Soldiers of implementing units. Professional or ganizations maintain a connection to the legacy of those who have gone be fore them and mentor their members through lessons-learned in past con flicts and world events. Recognition of excellence and positive competition further encourages leaders to develop their respective formations into more effective organizations. Honorary system The Armor and Cavalry Regimental Honorary System provides a link with history for today’s Soldiers through honorary colonels and sergeants major of the regiment. The program instills esprit, morale and the traditions of our Armor and Cavalry regiments. Distinguished and honorary members assist the colonel and sergeant major in their efforts to perpetuate the his tory of their regiment and impart Army values. Honorary position holders are nominated by their unit and approved by the Chief of Armor. Draper Award The Draper Armor Leadership Award promotes combat leadership in Armor Branch units. The award is given annu ally to promote, sustain and recognize excellence in leadership in Armor and Cavalry units, and is presented to a de serving unit selected by the unit’s divi sion/regimental commander according to Draper standard operating proce dure. The program was established in 1924 as a means to competitively test the leadership of small Cavalry units. The 2014 annual unit Draper Armor Leadership Award winners:

• Troop C, 1-12 Cavalry, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), 1st Cavalry Division;

• Troop C, 6-9 Cavalry, 3rd ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division;

• Troop K, 4-3rd Cavalry Regiment;

• Company C, 2-69 Armor, 3rd ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division;

• Troop A, 5-73 Cavalry, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 82nd Airborne Division;

• Troop D, 1-509 Infantry, Joint Read iness Training Center Operations

97 January-March 2015 Acronym Quick-Scan ABCT – armored brigade combat team HHC – headquarters and headquarters company IBCT – infantry brigade combat team OCOA – Office Chief of Armor Group, U.S. Army Forces Com mand;

• Troop B, 3-38 Cavalry, 525 Battle field Surveillance Brigade, I Corps;

• Troop A, 1-14 Cavalry, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division;

• Troop A, 1-16 Cavalry, 316th Cavalry Brigade, U.S. Army Armor School;

• Troop B, 2-106 Cavalry, 33rd IBCT, Il linois Army National Guard; and

• Troop A, 1-105 Cavalry, 32nd IBCT, Wisconsin Army National Guard. For more information regarding the Regimental Honorary System and Drap er Armor Leadership Award, contact the Office of the Chief of Armor (OCOA) at usarmy.benning.mcoe.mbx. armor-ocoa@mail.mil or visit the OCOA Website at http://www.benning. army.mil/armor/ocoa. CPT Francis Calimbas serves as a per sonnel staff officer for OCOA, U.S. Army Armor School, Fort Benning, GA. Previ ous duty assignments include forward operating base mayor, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Kandahar, Af ghanistan; scout-platoon leader, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany, and Kandahar, Af ghanistan; assistant operations officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Com pany (HHC), 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany; and platoon leader, HHC, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr and Adana, Turkey. His military schooling includes the Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course, Army Re connaissance Course and Army Opera tional Electronic Warfare Course. CPT Calimbas holds a bachelor’s of arts de gree in criminal justice from the Uni versity of Nevada-Las Vegas. Figure 1. A scout humvee from 6-9 Cavalry uses the Long-Range Advance Scout Surveillance System to observe a named area of interest during National Training Center Rotation 13-03 in January 2013. Troop C, 6-9 Cavalry, won a unit Draper Award in 2014. (Photo by Cobra O/C)