With Iraq tour ahead, unit drops title of ‘Conqueror’

With Iraq tour ahead, unit drops title of ‘Conqueror’
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, October 22, 2007

BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Lt. Col. Rich Morales, commander of the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, has been doubling as a marketing and branding specialist of late, rolling out the merchandise and making his pitch.

There’s the new “Iron Knights” bumper sticker on his car. His e-mails all end with an emphatic “Iron Knights!” signature. There are the new Iron Knights pencils Morales likes to hand out. And a commemorative wine label, stating “Iron Knights, 1941-2008” also is in the works.

After months of mulling it over and consulting with former battalion commanders, Morales decided in September to part with his unit’s nine-year-old call sign of “Conqueror” in favor of a return to “Iron Knights.”

While it may seem like a small matter, such decisions aren’t made lightly, he said.

“I had to walk a fine line so as not to seem like I was the new guy coming in here changing things just to change,” Morales said. “It’s not a new guy coming in trying to diminish any of your accomplishments. It is tying in to our lineage and also looking forward to our mission in Iraq.”

Morales says the old “Conqueror” moniker doesn’t match the current mission and could potentially send the wrong message to Iraqis.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49694