Mihalko

First Sergeant (Retired) Ron Mihalko , the "Tie-Dye Guy", enlisted at MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), Pittsburgh, PA on 6 June 1983 and retired on 31 October 2003. Currently living in Forst (Unterfranken), Germany and working as a hausmeister with Immobilien Service Deutschland.

Career Summary

OSUT (One Station Unit Training), C-1-1, Fort Knox, KY 25 October 1983

6th cycle on M1 Abrams
Honor Platoon, 1st Platoon

Armor Crewman, B 2/8 Cav, 1st Cav Div, FT Hood, TX, Mar 84 - Apr 85

One gunnery as a PFC Gunner
Two months with Red Thrust (Soviet Equipment Unit)

Armor Crewman, B 3-64 AR, 3ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Apr 85 - Jun 86

PLDC Commandant's List, Commandant's Award, Leadership Award
Conducted border patrols from Camps Lee, Harris, and Greely
Selected as Battalion and Brigade Soldier of the Quarter
Finalist to the Division Soldier of the Year Board

Gunner/ Tank Commander, A 3-64 AR, 3ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jun 86 - Dec 93

Gunner during CAT ‘87 Competition, placing 3rd of 24 platoons internationally.
Selected as Battalion NCO of the Month 3 times
Conducted security patrols for the Missau USAREUR Ammunition Depot
BNCOC Commandant’s List
Inducted into the Sergeant Morales Club
Selected as Battalion NCO of the Year
Deployed to Operations Desert Shield/ Storm as Tank Commander
ANCOC Commandant’s List

Tank Commander, D 2-64 AR, 3ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jan 94 – Aug 94

“Top Gun” in the Company with a 985
Battalion High Tank Platoon TT XII twice consecutive

Platoon Sergeant, D 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Aug 94 – Dec 98

Served as Platoon Sergeant as a Staff Sergeant
“Top Gun” in the Company with a 989
Battalion High Tank Platoon TT XII during 3 Gunneries
Deployed the platoon to Ft. Riley, KS for 2 weeks during Peace Keeper ’95 to execute a Multi-National Checkpoint with the Russian unit.
Deployed as IFOR and SFOR to Bosnia-Herzogovina
Served as First Sergeant during 2 Gunneries and 1 CMTC rotations
Served as First Sergeant for skeleton Company to deactivate and turn-in tanks

Battalion Schools NCO, HHC 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jan 99 – May 99

Operations Sergeant Major, HHC 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, May 99 - Jul 99

Selected to be the Battalion Operations Sergeant Major as a SFC
Participated in Mountain Eagle Exercise
Deployed the Battalion to Kosovo, KFOR 1A

Operations Sergeant, HHC 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Jul 99 – Feb 00

Performed operations as a Battle Captain while deployed to Kosovo

Platoon Sergeant, C 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Feb 00 - Oct 00

High Tank Platoon TT XII within the Company

First Sergeant, B 1-77 AR, 1ID, Schweinfurt, Germany, Oct 00- Jul 03

"TOP GUN" Company for three Gunneries
Deployed Company to Kosovo, KFOR 4A

Retired, First Sergeant, Schweinfurt, Germany, 31 Oct 03

Awards and decorations

Order of Saint George, Bronze award, Schweinfurt, Germany
Legion of Merit
Army Commendation Medal (3rd award)
Army Achievement Medal (10th award)
Good Conduct Medal (6th award)
National Defense Service Medal (Bronze Star 2nd award)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal (Bronze Star- Defense and Liberation of Kuwait)
Kosovo Campaign Medal (Bronze Star 2nd award)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
NCO Professional Development Ribbon (3rd award)
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd award), 18 1/2 consecutive years on Conn Barracks, Schweinfurt, Germany
NATO Medal (Bosnia)
NATO Medal (Kosovo 2nd award)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
V Corps Distinguished Small Unit Award
Army Superior Unit Award
Marksmanship Badge (Expert Pistol), (Expert Rifle), (Expert Tank Weapons)

Military Education

1983 Armor Crewman OSUT, FT Knox, KY
1984 Combat Lifesaver Course, FT Hood, TX
1985 Bundeswehr Exchange Program, 3 months, 354 Pz Bn, Hammelburg, Germany
1986 PLDC, Kitzigen, Germany
1986 Tank Crew Evaluator Course, Vilseck, Germany
1987 Small Arms Maintenance Course, Vilseck, Germany
1988 NBC Defense Course, Würzburg, Germany
1989 BNCOC, Hohenfels, Germany
1989 Engineer Construction Course
1990 Army Retention Course, Würzburg, Germany
1993 ANCOC, FT Knox, KY
1994 Army Retention Course, Kitzigen, Germany
1998 Tank Crew Evaluator Course, Vilseck, Germany
2000 USAREUR CDR/ 1SG Course, Vilseck, Germany
2001 First Sergeant Course, FT Bliss, TX

References

http://www.mihalko-family.com/Career.htm