User: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