February 2026 News!
- 5 days ago
- 11 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Table of Contents |
A Short Note From the Association President
3rd Brigade News
35th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm
2026 Reunions
2026 Board Elections
Dates in Rakkasan History
Rakkasan Legacy - In Memory
Fundraiser
Chapter News
Contact Us
President's Note |
My Fellow Rakkasans:
The year is progressing rapidly. The Regiment is fully engaged in transitioning to the Mobile Brigade's organizational structure and tactical concepts. Membership in the Rakkasan Association is steadily increasing. Since December 1, 2025, we have welcomed twenty-two (22) new Lifetime Members and twenty (20) Annual Members. The 2026 Rakkasan Association Board elections are ongoing, with voting concluding on February 15, 2026. Registration for the May 2026 Reunion in Clarksville and Ft. Campbell began in early December 2025. The 2026 Reunion promises to be well-attended. Make sure to register and secure your lodging soon. Details and the application for the Hamburger Hill Chapter Scholarship are available on the Rakkasan Website.
We hope to see many of you at the 101st Airborne Association's mini reunion, the "Snow Bird." This event will take place in Tampa, FL, from February 19th to February 23rd. For more details, please visit the 101st Airborne Division Association’s website (a link is available in the Reunion Section below). Looking forward to seeing many of you there.
This year, one of our objectives is to document the Rakkasan's participation in the 20-year conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. If you were deployed and wish to share your experiences from the battles you engaged in, we would be eager to hear from you. Please reach out to us through the Rakkasan Website.
LVNF,
Bob
3rd brigade news |
A MESSAGE FROM RAK 6
RAKKASANS!
February brings a renewed and sharpened focus on the mission ahead. Here’s an update on
our combat readiness.
Rakkasans in Action: Building Combat Credibility at Home and Beyond
In January, we executed Operation Lethal Eagle (OLE 26.1) against our sister brigade, Strike (2/101). After a week in the field, conducting a large-scale air assault and initiating force-on-force battle, the training was paused for safety due to dangerous cold temperatures and snow from Winter Storm Fern.
Outside the 101st Airborne Division’s AO, we had soldiers competing nationwide. A team of 4 soldiers represented the Rakkasans in the XVII Airborne Corps Combatives Invitational at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with PFC Jefferson Da Silva from Leader 1-187 winning the Middleweight Champion Title with a record 4 Wins - 0 Losses.
Two of Leader 1-187's own, SSG Stevan A. Hargrave and SGT Jonathan Simpson, tested their skills on a global stage, participating in the prestigious 2026 CSM Jack L. Clark Jr. Best Medic Competition at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
We are proud of our soldiers both here at Fort Campbell and beyond, who embody discipline, lethality, and grit, all while pushing their limits with pure aggression and unwavering focus. Every opportunity to train demands composure under pressure and the will to dominate.
The Road Ahead: OLE 26.1 Resumes, JRTC and RAK Reunion Preparations Underway
In February, we resume OLE 26.1 with company live-fire exercises, retraining, marksmanship, and execution of a combined arms breach of a trench system and a patrol lane in a contested environment characterized by drone activity and electronic warfare. After a short recovery period, we will support Garrison ceremonies and continue JRTC preparations.
Mark your calendars for RAK Reunion 2026, scheduled for May 13-17. During the reunion, we will formally dedicate the regimental rooms for Leader 1-187 and White Currahee 2-506, which are being enhanced to honor their legacies. If you have photographs or memorabilia to contribute, we would be honored to display them.
Let Valor Not Fail!
COL Ryan Bell
RAK6
35th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm\ |
On January 17, 1991, Operation Desert Storm commenced with the air campaign against Iraq. The ground campaign began in late February 1991. The following article was written by Pete Kinney, the 3rd Brigade S-3 during ODS.
SPARTAN WIVES
In the summer of 1990 the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and its brigade combat teams, to include the 3rd Brigade, the 187th Infantry Regiment, had not deployed to war since 1972. There were no formal Army mechanisms to care for the spouses and families of Soldiers if they did deploy. The experiences of Army wives and families in the aftermath of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm provided the bedrock that is today’s Army Family Support Groups. These are some of the experiences of the Spartan Wives of 3rd Brigade.
Each battalion of the brigade had its own unique personality reflecting its commander and his spouse. The senior battalion commanders were Andy Berdy in 2/187 and Tom Greco in 3/187 who had both been in command a year by the summer of 1990. Andy’s wife, Nikki Berdy watched over her 2nd battalion families and Tom’s wife, Gail Greco watched over 3rd battalion’s. Hank Kinnison had just taken command of 1/187 that summer and his wife Karon was meeting the 1st battalion families for the first time.
John McDonald had been in command of the brigade for almost 2 years and his wife Jane was well-liked by the other ladies. August of 1990 found our Army families in the calm before the storm.
And then life in a peacetime Army changed overnight; Saddam invades Kuwait and Soldier-husbands immediately focus on deployment and going to war. At least this wasn’t Vietnam; families were allowed to stay in government quarters even when the active-duty spouse deployed. But who would care for our families while we were in the Middle East?
Units had nondeployable officers and NCOs who were given the responsibility of rear detachment command, a tough and many times thankless job when most Soldiers wanted to be combat deployed. However, the emotional burden of caring for Army families fell to the commander’s spouses and it started like this… soon after the brigade main body had deployed the battalion commander’s and sergeant major’s wives were told to attend a meeting in Olive Gym, near the brigade headquarters building, because “this is where you will come to claim your Soldier’s remains.”
We were going to war against the fourth largest Army in the world and casualties, many of them, were expected.
As 2/187’s Andy Berdy writes “My conversation with Nikki brought back a lot of memories and stoked a lot of fond feelings she has of her time with her amigos – Gail Greco and Karon Kinnison. They made a pledge to each other that requests from above to implement certain policies within the Regiment would be voted on by the three of them before any were implemented. In many ways their experience mirrored what their husbands experienced downrange by having the war draw them closer. The experience also saw these wives assume a new responsibility by implementing the use of Family Support Groups to steady the morale of the families who saw their husbands deployed to war for the first time. Nikki felt her main purpose was to protect the young wives and their families who had never experienced an event like this. Nikki reminded me when an idea was raised for commander’s wives to man a center intended to notify families of casualties the three amigos collectively voted no on this as they recognized right away that they would be identified as the voices of bad news and that they were also mothers with children at home who needed care as well…Her last fond memory was the bond she formed with our CSM’s wife, Carolyn Hardwick, as the two handled the company FSGs.”
Nikki Berdy’s comrade-in-arms, Gail Greco of 3rd battalion was told by the acting post commander, in the words of her husband, Tom, that “…she would need to be ready to go to family homes to tell the Soldier’s spouse that her husband was missing, wounded or dead because he (the acting post commander) felt our deep air assault was predicted to have severe casualties.” Tom and Gail spoke via MARS radio and planned a meeting for the 3/187 rear detachment commander to meet the acting post commander and inform him how 3/187 rear-D would handle family notification, not Gail.
To add more unsettling circumstances to the regiment’s wives the November Change of Command between departing COL John McDonald and arriving COL Bob Clark saw the departure of Jane McDonald and her replacement by Karen Clark, the regiment’s new First Lady. Jane McDonald was well-known and well-liked, a dependable advocate for the regiment’s ladies. Karen Clark was not an unknown at Fort Campbell as her husband had commanded a battalion in 1st brigade, but she had a daunting task joining a group of ladies already in place. Karen Clark soon learned that many foreign born wives of Soldiers were unable to write letters to their husbands, so she worked at the Education Center to teach English as a 2d language to these ladies; she coached and helped Soldier’s wives write letters to include addressing the envelopes with the proper military address. Bob Clark says that “Karen felt like this was the most rewarding experience she ever had as a teacher and military wife.”
I would be remiss if I did not mention my own wife, Trish Kinney. As a Sergeant Major’s daughter in 1968 she watched her father deploy to Vietnam. In 1990 she was the wife of the Regimental 3, a mother of three children and a full-time nursing student at Austin Peay. When I returned from Desert Storm she was class valedictorian and the number one student in her nursing class. She was also the defacto den mother for the Regimental HHC.
The Regimental 4 was Major Mike Oates and his wife Barbara, who just arrived in Clarksville only weeks before our deployment remembers “I was purely holding on for dear life with three little ones. We had just arrived in Clarksville. Trish Kinney was my mentor and saved me! I lived off post though worked on post which connected me some, but I was still isolated. I connected with Trish immediately. She was so wise! It was all about relationships and simply caring for your sister in the same boat!”
I thank the Lord every day that these Spartan Women did not have to go to Olive Gym. Their valor never failed us and their love and devotion paved the way for the Army’s Family Support Group programs which sustained our Soldiers over 20 years of deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and countless other places doing the Nation’s bidding.
Pete Kinney
3rd Brigade S-3, ODS.
2026 Reunions |
2026 National Rakkasan Association/Hamburger Hill Chapter Reunion
45th Anniversary & Reunion of the Association - 57th Anniversary of Hamburger Hill - 35th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm - 20th Anniversary Operation Swarmer.
The reunion begins May 13, 2026 and the core dates run through May 17, 2026 with an optional extension for ODS specific events on May 17 and 18, 2026. The reunion will be held at the Country Inn & Suites in Clarksville, TN with some events held at FT Campbell.
For registration and lodging information please go to the Events Page on our website.
2026 101st Airborne Division Association Reunions
The 101st Airborne Division Association reunion is scheduled for May 18 to 23, 2026 in Hopkinsville/FT Campbell, Kentucky.
2026 Elections |
The 2026 National Rakkasan Association Board elections is in full swing. Voting began on January 15, 2026 and closes February 15, 2026.
Eligibility to Vote: You must be a Charter Founding Life, Charter Life, Regular Life, Regular Annual or Reserve member to cast a vote in the 2026 elections. Your membership will be verified once you have cast your vote.
The 2026 candidates for the open positions are as follows:
Vice-President
Frank Peterson (unopposed)
Secretary
Erik Lind
Leslie "Rick" Perry
Board Position 6
Beau Brumfield (unopposed)
Board Position 8
Bill Eckstein
Marcos Amador
Additional information and ballots can be found on the Elections Page of our website.
2026 Scholarship |
The Hamburger Hill Chapter will be sponsoring scholarships in 2026. The purpose of the Hamburger Hill Chapter/Rakkasan Scholarship Program is to provide financial assistance to students toward their post-high school education who have demonstrated a potential to become a contributing citizen to our nation and represent the ideals that the military represents.
An applicant is eligible to apply if he/she has a family member who served in the 187th Inf Regiment or has served in the 187th.
The applicant’s sponsor is a Life Member in good standing in the Rakkasan Association.
The applicant may not have received this award previously.
Applications are due by April 15, 2026. For more information, click on link below.
dates in rakkasan history |
February 24, 1991
Operation Desert Storm
On February 24, 1991, elements of 3rd Brigade began movement into LZ Sand. "...Team Jerry (Pathfinders) lead by 1LT Jerry Biller of 3-187th Infantry air assaulted into LZ Sand 160 km behind enemy lines. After verifying and marking the LZ, TF Rakkasan with the heavy elements of the brigade began to arrive by CH-47. LZ Sand would become critical in the air assault to LZs further north into AO Eagle in the Euphrates River Valley between the towns of As Samawah and An Nasiriyah."
The following day, the Rakkasans began air assaults into Iraq. The 2-187th Infantry was inserted into LZ Festus and secured BP (battle position) Abilene. Upon landing, elements of Bravo Company came under enemy fire, and a firefight ensued. The 1-187th was inserted into LZ Crockett "...and seized the oil pumping station and Darraji Airfield (Objective Boston)" with Charlie Company assaulting 200 meters further to capture and secure an enemy bunker complex. The 3-187th and the Brigade Tactical CP were inserted into LZ Chester. Elements of the 3/187th engaged enemy forces as they moved forward, destroying numerous enemy vehicles and inflicting casualties. The 3rd Battalion eventually secured BP Austin. Later in the night of February 25th, the 2/187th and 3/187th cut Highway 8 and destroyed convoys in their engagement areas.
Over the next several days, the 3rd Brigade continued operations while also dealing with Iraqi civilians and large numbers of surrendering Iraqi soldiers. Additionally, Brigade staff set up shop in a single-story building that was named "The Alamo." In 1991, President Bush announced a ceasefire that would take effect the morning of February 28, 1991.
February 25, 1943
The 187th Glider Infantry Regiment was activated at Camp McKall.
If you have dates in history, events or a person you would like us to highlight, please send us an email at info@rakkasanassociation.org. OEF/OIF Rakkasans, we could use your input.
rakkasan legacy - in memory |
Robert Stiver
April 19, 1932 - December 16, 2025
Robert's military career started in the late 1940s with the ROTC program at Pasadena City College, after which he served in the California National Guard from 1948 to 1950. In 1950, he was activated and served overseas in Japan from 1951 to 1952, including time with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. Robert received an Honorable Discharge in April 1952 at Fort Lewis, WA. Robert was a Life Member of the Rakkasan Association.
The link to Robert's obituary is below.
Edward "Eddie" Mills
March 1, 1971 - October 30, 2018
Although Eddie passed away several years ago, he is still missed dearly by his wife and children.
Eddie served twenty-one years in the US Army. He was a Rakkasan with the 1/187th (HHC and Bravo Company) from 1999 to 2002.
A link to Eddie's obituary is below:
fundraiser |
3/187th Memorial Stone Fundraiser
Vietnam 1968-1971
Rakkasan Alumni, the 3-187 Infantry is requesting your support to replace our Vietnam KIA Memorial Stone. The current stone contains the names of all the 1968 KIAs and has broken into several pieces. To honor all the Iron Rakkasan KIA from Vietnam, we are proposing an expanded memorial that includes all 252 KIA from ’68-’71. The stone will be upright and will list the KIA by year. It will sit on a rough-cut piece of quartz. It will be placed behind the Battalion headquarters underneath our Iron Torii. The area is used for Battalion formations, promotions, and award ceremonies. This area is significant as the gathering place for all Soldiers in the Battalion because it contains our parade field, Torii monument, and GWOT KIA memorial. This memorial is part of a broader effort to memorialize the Iron Battalion KIA from all conflicts we have participated in. The estimated cost for this memorial is $14,680. Any amount you are willing to donate will be greatly appreciated by the current and former members of the Iron Rakkasans. Thanks for your support!
chapter news |
Torrii Chapter
Based out of Clarksville, TN but accepts members from other areas.
President: Dave Reilly
Vice President: Louie Lee
Treasurer: CSM (Ret) Chuck Judd
Secretary: Sheila Patton
For information on the Chapter please email toriichapter@outlook.com.
Buckeye Chapter
Based out of Delaware, Ohio
President: Scott Hutmire
Treasurer: Hunter Everett
Meets at the VFW Reed Miller Post #3297
For additional information on the Chapter please email michael_smith672@yahoo.com.
Hamburger Hill Chapter
President: Bob Harkins
Vice President: Charlie Ricord
Secretary: Greg West
Treasurer: Mike Smith
The Hamburger Hill Chapter will be holding board elections during their annual meeting scheduled for May 14, 2026.
contact us/contribute |
Monthly E-Newsletters
If you have news or events that you would like to feature in future e-newsletters, please reach out to us. We welcome submissions of short stories about your experiences with the Rakkasans, information on important dates in Rakkasan history, the significance of staying connected, or other topics pertinent to the Rakkasan legacy, both past and present.
Photos & Memorabilia
If you have photos, memorabilia - either your own or a family member (father, grandfather, uncle, etc.) - that you would like to share with the Rakkasan Association, please reach out to us.
until next time - let valor not fail |
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