Geo-Sarge Army Coin, We miss you Matt #10

This is Wiley Coyote and this TB started out in GC106VN a cache we dedicated to a good friend of ours that was KIA near FOB Falcon Iraq. On 16 September 2005 SGT Matthew Deckard was killed while responding as the QRF (Quick Responce Force) to a road side bomb that had killed the C C0 4-64 AR BN (Armor Battalion) First Sergeant, 1SG Gifford, and his driver SPC Ford.  When SGT Deckard got to the scene a second much larger bomb went off killing him as he tried to assist in the rescue effort. Since Chiggie gave me this coin we started it in Matt's geocache and I have carried everywhere we have gone. Check out the milage since I have activated it back in December 2008!  I have now assigned it to our TB hotel for all to know this ongoing war continues to touche so many lives. 

 Two weeks before he was killed, his company, Charlie Comapny 4-64 AR BN, received orders to move to FOB (Forward Operating Base) Falcon. I was the Head Quarters Company 4-64 AR BN Supply Sergeant and I had extra ammunition and unused cots his company was needing for the move. Matt had cordinated with me to come pick the ammo and cots up the morning they rolled out. Little did I know this brief equipment pick up would be the last time I would ever see my friend again. During the visit, Matt had expressed his distrust, frustration, and concerns they were moving to a dangerous unstable area of Iraq. Our Battalion, was less thanr three months from redeploying back to Ft. Steart GA. He was upset after dealing with so much crap from scuicide bombers, mortar attacks, and shootings over the past 9 months. "The command is just trying to get us killed for no reason when we are so close to going home"!  "There are newer units that could patrol that area instead of us going there".  The FOB Falcon area had been experiencing civil unrest and the insurgents were placing road side bombs along the roads. Matt was right and our command knew it! Basically he complained to me his company was going to be used as "bomb bait", those were his exact words, Two weeks later he was killed along with First Sergent Gifford, and his First Sergeant's driver, Specialist Ford! This tribute coin has been all over the world from Ft Jackson SC, Bagram AB Afghanistan, Manas AB Kyzerkistan, Kuwait, Quatar, Schofield Barracks Hawaii, Ft Lewis WA, Ft Irwin CA, Ft. Hood TX, and will be permanently garrisoned here at our TB R&R close to Ft Carson CO for all to discover.  

UPDATE: March 2012 we finally got to visit Matt's grave in the National Cemetary close to FT. Knox KY. I was'nt able to be there for his funeral and the last 6 1/2 years we have moved around so much since OIF III. The past few years we have been to Ft Jackson, then to Schofield Barracks HI, then I went off to Afghanistan for a year, then back to Hawaii. We finally made it out this way after getting orders to go to Ft. Carson CO. We had alot of furniture in storage back in the Ft.Jackson area and were doing a long road trip from Colorado to South Carolina. We went out of our way to go visit him again.

UPDATE: It's been almost 10 years since Matt was Killed in Action. I have since retired out of the Army and will keep this coin here for good. Please discover only and thanks for coming out to out TB R&R. 

Soldier shaped geo-coin in honor of my good friend Sergeant Matthew Deckard.