1/B/2-32 Armor

1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2d Battalion, 32d Armor

The Turtle Platoon

(Ayers Kaserne, Kirchgöns, Germany)

The case of the Turtle Platoon (1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2d Battalion, 32d Armor) is somewhat unusual. The platoon was organic to the one armor battalion of 3d Armored Division that did not deploy to Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm. In early February 1991, the Turtle Platoon received orders to deploy to Saudi Arabia to the 194th Regulating Replacement Detachment (VII Corps). The platoon arrived in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on 14 February 1991 with approximately 18 tank platoons detached from 8th Infantry Division armor units. They were ostensibly to be individual replacements or Weapons Systems Replacement Operations (WSRO) units. The Turtle Platoon was able to maintain its unit integrity and join the Ready First Combat Team (RFCT) in Tactical Assembly Area Henry after a UH-60 Blackhawk ride from Dhahran. The platoon fell in on division float M1A1’s, and soon after was attached to Delta Company, 4th Battalion, 32d Armor (commanded by Captain Chris Markwood). Delta Company was task organized to 5th Battalion, 5th Cavalry, and was generally responsible for security of the RFCT Tactical Operations Center (TOC). The platoon remained with the RFCT through combat operations and subsequent border duty the the Ceasefire Zone near Safwan, Iraq. The platoon redeployed to Germany on 21 May 1991.

Somehow, this platoon was not included in the RFCT Valorous Unit Award Orders. The members of this platoon hope to soon see this omission corrected.

B-12 (Michealangelo) on border duty near Safwan, Iraq 

Below is a complete and accurate roster of 1/B/2-32 Armor. This information was compiled by 1SG Michael G. Nelson (USA, Ret.), the Turtle Platoon Platoon Sergeant.

NOTE: A name presented in hypertext indicates an e-mail link.