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Home > Georgians@War > Archives > 2008 > March > 24 > Entry

Grady baby honored

By Moni Basu | Monday, March 24, 2008, 12:42 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Capt. Micah Hutchins had his moment in the sun here in Baghdad, a proud Grady baby made good.

Hutchins, 28, born at Grady Memorial Hospital and raised in Decatur, relinquished command Friday of Georgia-based 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment’s Fox Company to Capt. Jonathan Kirkland.

Curtis Compton/AJC
Capt. Micah Hutchins, 28, Decatur, Ga., right, is hugged by Cpt. Andrew Kirby, both with the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, Fort Stewart, Ga., as Hutchins is honored.

The military values its change-of-command ceremonies, steeped in tradition and honor. Officers read out Hutchins’ achievements and the many medals he has been awarded. Hutchins participated in an elaborate passing of the company colors.

Hutchins, who attended Southwest DeKalb High School and Atlanta Bible Baptist Church, said it was a bittersweet moment for him. After 22 months with the company, he was moving on. He said he would miss the soldiers he has been deployed with for the past 11 months.

Since 1-30 Infantry arrived in Iraq last May, Hutchins’s 218 soldiers in Fox Company have been the backbone for combat operations. As the support guys, they have run 450 combat missions moving 1 million gallons of fuel, all the water the soldiers drink, 100 tall concrete barriers and “the unaccountable number of widgets” the battalion has needed in the patrol bases spread out throughout the area, said Lt. Col. Kenneth Adgie, the battalion commander.

Fox Company has also become sort of a “taxi service” for soldiers wanting to travel between the bases since it runs a supply convoy almost every day and often has empty seats in the trucks.

“You made the difficult look easy,” Adgie said about Hutchins and his company.

Then it was Hutchins’s turn. Not too many officers begin speeches by thanking their wife first. Hutchins did.

Rhea is also an Army captain, stationed at Q-West near the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. Relatives back home are taking care of their children, Abria, 5, and Peyton, 2. The parenting hardship was not lost in ceremony on this day.

As Adgie said: “They have sacrificed much.”

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