March 19, 2024

Prairie City soldier earns infantry patch

CAMP DODGE — Pvt.2 Connor W. Brey, of Prairie City, was part of more than 35 Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers recently recognized during a patching ceremony held at the Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center in Johnston.

This ceremony represents a time-honored tradition, where Iowa Citizen-Soldiers officially receive the left-shoulder military patch representing their unit of assignment in the Iowa Army National Guard.

It also marks completion of the Iowa National Guard Recruit Sustainment Program, a preparatory training program that provides new recruits the education and skills needed to excel during their Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (military school).
These Soldiers represent today's Iowa Army National Guard, which consists of 7,000 Citizen-Soldiers based in more than 40 communities across the state. Brey, a 2016 graduate of PCM High School in Monroe, now becomes a Cavalry Scout with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, in Johnston.

Cavalry scouts are responsible for being the eyes and ears of the commander during battle. They engage the enemy in the field, track and report their activity and direct the employment of weapon systems to their locations.