Reservist Chosen to Represent Indiana

By Army Master Sgt. Serbennia A. Davis
205th Infantry Brigade

March 24, 2010 - Army Spc. Ryan Spurgeon visited Washington, D.C., with his family when he was 15, and the Freetown, Ind., native soon will get a chance to return to the nation's capital. Spurgeon will represent Indiana in an annual re-enlistment ceremony in Washington for select Army Reserve soldiers.

"I've always wanted to go back," said Spurgeon, a truck driver for the 478th Engineer Company based here. "Many of the memorials and monuments [in Washington] were made by Bedford Limestone Co., located in Bedford, Ind. [That limestone] happens to be grounded in the creek behind my house. There is no better way to say how I feel about D.C. It is grounded in my very soul, and is literally all around me."

When he signed his re-enlistment contract, Spurgeon's retention noncommissioned officer, Army Sgt. 1st Class Rosalind Fennell, told him he was eligible to compete for the honor of representing Indiana at the ceremony. "I visited the online Web site, signed up for the competition and won," he said.

Fennell said the annual ceremony is an important retention tool.

"In a nutshell, it is an opportunity for first-term soldiers to be a part of a lifetime experience while showcasing the importance of retaining our soldiers," she said.

A veteran of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Spurgeon re-enlisted for an additional eight years of duty. He will participate in a public re-enlistment ceremony alongside other soldiers April 23 at the U.S. Capitol.

In addition to the Capitol, soldiers chosen for the ceremony will visit Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon.