Ritenour alum deployed to Middle East is Battalion Soldier of the Quarter

Sgt. Zachary T. Flaxbeard, of St. Louis, is the Battalion Soldier of the Quarter for the 175th Military Police Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard. Flaxbeard is deployed to Qatar where is part of a base security mission. (Submitted photo)

Bill Phelan
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar - A St. Louis Missouri National Guardsman deployed to the Middle East has been named Soldier of the Quarter for the 175th Military Police Battalion, headquartered in Columbia.

The honor for Sgt. Zachary T. Flaxbeard comes even though he is not a military police officer and serves as a chemical operations specialist with a decontamination unit, based at Jefferson Barracks in south St. Louis County.

Flaxbeard is one of about 250 Missouri Guardsmen who were deployed to Qatar in September for a year-long base security mission. Attached to eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar sits across the Persian Gulf from Iran and serves as a central staging area for U.S. Troops in the region.

Flaxbeard's unit, the 3175th Chemical Company, sent about 140 soldiers on the mission to supplement troops of the 175th.

Being named Battalion Soldier of the Quarter is no easy feat. The criterion includes physical fitness scores, marksmanship, one's knowledge of the Army, leadership skills and a grueling interview before a review board of your peers.

Initially, Flaxbeard joined the National Guard to take advantage of the college tuition assistance program, but after serving more than five years and being deployed to Afghanistan, where he was a heavy weapons gunner, his focus had broadened.

"After being activated for state emergency duty in 2008, as well as my Afghanistan deployment, I really gathered an understanding of what it means to serve a cause much larger than myself," he said. "I have come to love giving back to and supporting our nation, its interests, and the people. I also love inspiring soldiers to maximize their own potential, challenge themselves to do the best they can, and to positively influence others outside of the command."

A 2006 graduate of Ritenour High School, Flaxbeard has been working toward a bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia College.

"Eventually I'll get a master's degree in counseling," he said.

A die-hard Blues fan, Flaxbeard admits to missing home and his dog, Bailey.

Sgt. Flaxbeard is the son of Tom Flaxbeard, of Overland, and Venessa Arseneau, of Hazelwood.

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