Fort Leonard Wood 1986 Basic Training Yearbook — Company B, 3rd Battalion, 4th Training Brigade

Front Cover, Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Yearbook 1986 Company B, Third Battalion, Fourth Training Brigade. Cover Titling by the GG Archives. | GGA Image ID # 209a395ac8

🪖 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Yearbook – Company B (3rd Battalion, 4th Training Brigade) – 1986

📖 Overview

This yearbook records the basic training of 107 recruits at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, who graduated on 11 July 1986. The company was commanded by Captain Cynthia Staley, marking the growing presence of women officers in command roles within basic training units during the 1980s.

🏛 Organization & Training Schedule

• Unit: Company B, 3rd Battalion, 4th Training Brigade
• Commenced Training: 26 May 1986
• Completed Training: 11 July 1986
• Duration: 7 weeks of intensive basic training — reflecting the Army’s standardized program under the All-Volunteer Force.

🌍 Historical Context

By 1986, the Army had matured into the post-Vietnam, post-draft All-Volunteer Force. Training was:

More professionalized, with drill sergeants trained to a high standard.

Gender-integrated, as seen with a female Company Commander leading Company B.

Smaller in size but higher in intensity, as the Army emphasized quality over quantity during the Reagan-era military buildup.

Focused on Cold War readiness, with Fort Leonard Wood specializing in combat engineering and support skills alongside general basic training.

Company B, 3rd Battalion, 4th Training Brigade—107 recruits graduating 11 Jul 1986 led by CPT Cynthia Staley; drill cadre includes SFC R. Flowers. Full roster, portraits, and leadership from the Cold War era.

Company B 1986 Organization and Schedule

• Organization: Third Battalion, Fourth Training Brigade
• Commenced Training: 26 May 1986
• Completed Training: 11 July 1986

Company B 1986 Leadership

• Fourth Brigade Commander: COL Fred C. Edwards
• Fourth Brigade Command Sergeant Major: CSM William McNally
• Battalion Commander: LTC William H. Mitchell
• Third Battalion Command Sergeant Major: CSM Thomas J. Rucker
• Company Commander: CPT Cynthia Staley
• Senior Drill Sergeant: SFC R. Flowers
• Drill Sergeant: SFC S. O'Laughlin
• Drill Sergeant: SSG J. Faltz
• Drill Sergeant: SSG J. Cain
• Drill Sergeant: SFC G. Harris
• Drill Sergeant: SFC E. Dokie
• Drill Sergeant: SSG L. Campbell
• Drill Sergeant: SSG L. Miller
• Drill Sergeant: SSG T. Beach
• Drill Sergeant: SSG H. Stukes
• Drill Sergeant: SSG C. Fatigati
• First Sergent: 1SG Vaughn
• Operations Sergent: SFC Causer
• Supply Sergent: SGT B. Drummond

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 1 (Destry K. Alldredge-Dan Campbell)

1. Destry K. Alldredge
2. Patrick M. Arbuckle
3. Benamia H. Ball
4. Thomas W. Barnes
5. David J. Berg
6. Michael D. Bigler
7. Brooks A. Billings
8. Steven M. Bonds
9. Richard W. Boss
10. Burhl R. Bowers
11. James E. Bradley
12. Kurt R. Braisted
13. Ronald E. Bramblett
14. Joseph E. Bridges
15. Seddrick W. Bronner
16. Allen G. Brown
17. Donald Brown
18. Thomas A. Brown
19. Jason D. Brunson
20. Brian D. Burback
21. Charles M. Burk
22. Sean P. Burke
23. Tommy L. Caesar
24. Kevin J. Camara
25. Dan Campbell

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 2 (Troy D. Carpenter-Vitorio Gusmano)

1. Troy D. Carpenter
2. Joe Carter
3. Mark B. Carter
4. Charles B. Clarke
5. Daniel R. Clayton
6. Richard Cole
7. Stacy W. Cooper
8. Christopher D. Cote
9. Troy A. Dailey
10. Terry R. Davis
11. Ronald J. Dennis
12. Randall L. Dickey
13. Shawn J. Doyle
14. Kevin T. Draper
15. Michael T. Eaton
16. Terry Elliott
17. Kenneth C. Engard
18. Kenneth L. Erickson
19. Robert L. Evernden
20. Joel L. Floyd
21. Doug E. Fuller
22. James A. Gaskins
23. Forest E. Getter
24. Lionel J. Gonzalez
25. Vitorio Gusmano

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 3 (Matthias J. Hammes-Rodney D. Mills)

1. Matthias J. Hammes
2. Douglas P. Hansen
3. Eric M. Hawkins
4. Levert Hawkins
5. Bobby E. Henderson
6. Rudy N. Hessler
7. Cleveland Hill
8. Hyun J. Hong
9. Everett C. Hudson
10. Terry L. Johnson
11. Steven I. Jondron
12. Randy Kaystosek
13. Raymond P. Kenney
14. Paul A. Knofczynski
15. Larry J. Lucas
16. William H. Magnusson
17. Jimmy L. Mahan
18. Jeffrey A. Mason
19. Thomas R. McAuley
20. Marty L. McCormick
21. Leonard McDonald
22. Rodney F. McDonald
23. Jeffery P. McIntyre
24. Alan E. Mednis
25. Rodney D. Mills

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 4 (Jonathan W. Moore-Kenneth M. Vandenburgh)

1. Jonathan W. Moore
2. John E. Moormann
3. William A. Nagy
4. Leonardo O'Couver
5. Gregory W. Oldham
6. Stephen M. Pallas
7. Norman D. Pelletier
8. Otis C. Perry
9. Drew B. Pritchett
10. Richard L. Reinhart
11. Rick A. Renda
12. John H. Rossley
13. Michael S. Salsman
14. William B. Sanders
15. Michael E. Shaffer
16. Owen G. Smith
17. William H. Smith
18. Randall L. Snyder
19. James M. Stroyek
20. Richard P. Sullivan
21. Timothy L. Tucker
22. Kenneth M. Vandenburgh

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 5 (James L. Vickers-Douglas W. Young)

1. James L. Vickers
2. Gary M. Watkins
3. Daryl L. Watterson
4. Charles A. Williams
5. James D. Wilson
6. Harold Winnick
7. Mark E. Wright
8. Bruce A. Yandell
9. Michael L. Yarrington
10. Douglas W. Young

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Leadership, Page 1. Fourth Brigade Portrait Photos Include COL Fred C. Edwards and CSM William McNally. | GGA Image ID # 2097cc7224. Click to View a Larger Image.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Leadership, Page 2. Portrait Photos Include LTC William H. Mitchell, CSM Thomas J. Rucker, and CPT Cynthia Staley. | GGA Image ID # 20987688b7. Click to View a Larger Image.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training NCO Photos, Page 3. Portrait Photos Include SFC R. Flowers, SFC S. O'Laughlin, SSG J. Faltz, SSG J. Cain, SFC G. Harris, SFC E. Dokie, SSG L. Campbell, SSG L. Miller, SSG T. Beach, SSG H. Stukes, and SSG C. Fatigati. | GGA Image ID # 20987ace06. Click to View a Larger Image.

🎖 Leadership

• Brigade Commander: COL Fred C. Edwards
• Brigade CSM: CSM William McNally
• Battalion Commander: LTC William H. Mitchell
• Battalion CSM: CSM Thomas J. Rucker
• Company Commander: CPT Cynthia Staley
• First Sergeant: 1SG Vaughn

Cadre included a robust team of Drill Sergeants (male and female), Supply and Operations staff, and support NCOs. Their presence reflects the Army’s emphasis in the 1980s on small-unit leadership as the cornerstone of soldier discipline and readiness.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 1 (Destry K. Alldredge-Dan Campbell). | GGA Image ID # 20988b4f41. Click to View a Larger Image.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 2 (Troy D. Carpenter-Vitorio Gusmano). | GGA Image ID # 2098a0df85. Click to View a Larger Image.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 3 (Matthias J. Hammes-Rodney D. Mills). | GGA Image ID # 2098f0c971. Click to View a Larger Image.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 4 (Jonathan W. Moore-Kenneth M. Vandenburgh). | GGA Image ID # 2099233624. Click to View a Larger Image.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Photos, Part 5 (James L. Vickers-Douglas W. Young). Includes Six Uncaptioned Photos of Basic Training. | GGA Image ID # 20996ce76e. Click to View a Larger Image.

👥 Recruit Roster

The 107 graduates represented a smaller, more selective force than the large Cold War draft-era companies of the 1950s and 1960s. Names on the roster reflect the increasingly diverse composition of the U.S. Army, including recruits of Hispanic (e.g., Gonzalez, Camara, Mednis), African American (e.g., Hawkins, Hill, Caesar), Asian (Hong, O’Couver/Leonardo possibly Filipino heritage), and European descent.

Company B 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Basic Training Recruit Yearbook Style Inscriptions, Page 9. a Few Recruits Signed Their Names or Left a Brief Message by Their Photo. | GGA Image ID # 2099dae847. Click to View a Larger Image.

Message to the Troops from the Commanding General on Successful Completion of the Intensive Basic Training Program. Read the Text of Major General James W. van Loben Sels Below. | GGA Image ID # 209a35179c. Click to View a Larger Image.

Department of the Army
Headquarters
Us Army Training Center Engineer and Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri 65473-5000

Congratulations!

You have successfully completed the intensive basic training program required of each individual in order to graduate to the ranks of the best trained, best equipped, and best informed soldier in the history of our Army.

In accomplishing the transformation from civilian to soldier, you have attained your primary purpose outlined to you in your first day of basic training—to become a disciplined, motivated soldier who is qualified with his basic weapon, physically conditioned and drilled in the fundamentals of soldiering.

As you move on to advanced individual training, or an assignment with an active Army or reserve component unit, you should be aware that the officers, drill sergeants and noncommissioned officers of your cadre are proud of you. You have proven yourself in the trials and pressures of basic training. You have developed your mind and body, and accepted the challenge of soldiers before you; you have demonstrated that your generation has all the determination and ability necessary.

To each of you, I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes for your continuing success in the years ahead.

/s/ James W. van Loben Sels
Major General, USA
Commanding

📸 Noteworthy Images

Leadership Portraits (Pages 1–2): Command staff and brigade officers.

Drill Sergeants/NCOs (Page 3): A strong cadre, with drill sergeants pictured together — the front-line mentors of the company.

Recruit Pages (4–8): Individual portraits of trainees — smaller in number compared to earlier decades, reflecting the tighter company size.

Inscriptions (Page 9): Personal notes and autographs, capturing camaraderie and memory.

Message to the Troops (Final Page): Inspirational words from the Commanding General on completing one of the Army’s most demanding rites of passage.

📌 Why This Yearbook Matters

The 1986 Fort Leonard Wood Company B yearbook highlights a modernized Army at mid–Cold War strength, where professionalism, diversity, and new leadership opportunities (especially for women) marked a decisive shift from earlier decades.

It also closes the arc begun with the 1956 Fort Knox book: from the draft-era mass armies of the 1950s, through Vietnam-influenced training in the 1960s–70s, to the streamlined, volunteer, high-technology Army of the 1980s.

⚑ Provenance: Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives (GG Archives)