Holben receives Bronze Star
-- GSD Office of Properties and Facilities, August 2003

Gary Holben, fiscal manager for the GSD Office of Properties and Facilities, recently received a Bronze Star medal while serving as his company's commander in Iraq.

Since April 17, his unit - the 705th Transportation Company based in Dayton - has hauled more than 10 million gallons of fuel and driven more than 500,000 miles.

Holben's unit was mobilized Jan. 24, arriving four days later at its mobilization station, Fort Knox, Ky.

"While at Fort Knox we completed a validation (i.e. a certification process stating my unit is ready to deploy into combat) process and rail loaded all our vehicles and equipment," Holben wrote in an e-mail.

"The vehicles and equipment were transported to Corpus Christi where they were loaded onto a ship. Our original orders attached us to the 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas, whose original mission was to travel through Turkey and hit Iraq from the north. Turkey's refusal to allow U.S. forces into their country changed this plan. The ship with our vehicles and equipment was subsequently diverted through the Suez Canal to Kuwait. On April 6 we flew on a 19-hour flight from Fort Knox to Kuwait City."

His unit crossed into Iraq on April 20. They are stationed at Sustainer Army Airfield, located about 30 miles north of Baghdad, the capital city through which his unit drives nearly every day.

Flying in front of his unit's Tactical Operations Center for two weeks each were three State of Ohio flags sent to Holben from Larry Ayres, chief administrator of Properties and Facilities. Holben is sending the flags back home. One flag will be presented to Governor Bob Taft. Another flag will be presented to the General Services Division. Holben will display the third flag in his office when he returns, the date of which has yet to be determined.

Holben has served DAS for more than eight years, spending more than six years in his current position.