Todays featured #AlumniMonday alumnus is Lieutenant Griffin Bonnema. He hails from Grand Rapids, MI (Beer City USA), and he graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2012 with a degree in Psychology and commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer. He attended the FA Basic Officer Leaders Course at Fort Sill along with fellow ND grads Justin Bourque and Pat Gleason, all of whom graduated the course with honors. Following BOLC, LT Bonnema attended the Joint Fires Observer course, where he was trained to direct and synchronize fires from artillery, naval gunfire, and both rotary and fixed wing air assets. Upon completion of JFO, he reported to Fort Polk, Louisiana, where he was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment in 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Fourteen days after arriving to Polk, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. For the majority of the deployment, he served as Fires and Effects Coordination Center Officer at FOB Mehtar Lam in Laghman Province, RC-East. There, he directed aircraft through Laghman airspace, managed the FOB’s Counterfire Radar, and provided targeting data for 5-25 FA’s artillery and mortar assets. He also worked with Afghan National Army artillerymen to ensure US aircraft were safely clear of the line of fire from their multiple mortar and artillery locations. He spent many an early morning in the DFAC watching the Irish play and raging at QB Tommy Reese’s turnovers. Later in the deployment, Lieutenant Bonnema was moved to FOB Wright, Kunar Province, to be the Fire Direction Officer for 3rd Platoon, Bravo Battery 5-25 FA. There, he and his Fire Direction Center Soldiers were responsible for calculating fire mission data for the Platoon’s two M777A2 155mm howitzers to accurately and effectively shoot in support of coalition forces. Following redeployment, he remained the FDO for 2nd Platoon, Bravo, eventually becoming the Platoon Leader for the four-gun platoon late in the summer of 2014. Currently, he is standing up 5-25’s new Charlie Battery as a Platoon Leader, transitioning from M119A2s to M777A2 howitzers. He will always and forever be a diehard Irish Football fan, and has found a niche of Irish fans to stand strong with in this SEC infested state.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 13:04:14 +0000
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