Sergeant First Class Bobby Capelle

Sergeant First Class Bobby Capelle is a native of Ebeye, Marshall Islands. He enlisted in the Army as a 19K Armor Crewman in January of 2008. After completion of Basic training and OSUT at Fort Knox, he was assigned to the 1^st Battalion, 8^th Infantry Regiment, 3^rd Brigade Combat Team (Armor), 4^th Infantry Division at Fort Carson Colorado where he served as an M1A2 SEP v2 tank driver and loader. He deployed with the unit twice to Iraq in 2008 and 2010. 

In 2012, SFC Capelle relocated to Camp Casey, Korea where he served as a tank gunner with 1^st Battalion, 72^nd Armor Battalion. After a year in Korea, SFC Capelle relocated to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, where he was assigned to 4^th Battalion, 23^rd Infantry Regiment. The unit was deactivated several months later and SFC Capelle was reassigned to 2^nd Battalion, 23^rd Infantry Regiment. During his tenure with 2-23 IN, SFC Capelle served as a Mobile Gun System (M1128) as a gunner. In 2015, SFC Capelle moved to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he served as a Tank Commander in the 2^nd Battalion, 70^th Armor Battalion. He deployed to Camp Buehring, Kuwait, for a nine-month rotation with the unit in support of Operation Spartan Shield. Upon redeployment, SFC Capelle was put on assignment orders to U.S Army Japan at Camp Zama where he served as the G3 Training and Exercise (TREX) Operations NCO. He was then re-assigned to 2^nd Armor Brigade, 3^rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, in 2020 where he served in multiple roles as Platoon Sergeant, Assistant Operations NCO, Schools NCO, and Battalion Master Gunner. He deployed with the unit in 2023 to Europe for a nine-month rotation in support of Operation Assure, Deter, and Reinforce at Bemowo Piskie Training Area (BPTA), Poland, and Camp Herkus, Lithuania. In 2024, SFC Capelle was assigned to Western Michigan University ROTC where he currently serves as a military science instructor.

SFC Capelle’s military education includes the completion of Maneuver Senior Leaders Course, Advance Leaders Course, Basic Leaders Course, Battle Staff, Army Substance Abuse Program, Field Sanitation course, Environmental Compliance Assessment System course, Combat Lifesaver course and Common Faculty Development-Instructor course.

His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Unit Citation, Meritorious service medal, Army Commendation Medal with 1 Silver oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal with 1 silver oak leaf, and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Achievement medal, Armed Forces Service medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with 4 knots, Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development ribbon with numeral 3, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Overseas Service ribbon with numeral 3, Korea Defense service medal, Iraq Campaign medal with 2 bronze stars, and Combat Action Badge.

SFC Capelle has been married for 13 years and has three sons and one daughter.