CAMP RIPLEY, MINN. (07/10/2012)(readMedia)-- Soldiers with the Illinois Army National Guard's 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) in Urbana traveled to Camp Ripley, Minn., this week by bus, plane and convoy for the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) program as a part of their annual training.

The training this year is an especially large endeavor, lasting three weeks instead of the usual two. The XCTC program aims to provide the most up-to-date and realistic training available to units preparing to deploy.

Although the 33rd IBCT's scheduled deployment for next year was canceled, the XCTC program is still a unique opportunity for Soldiers to keep their skills sharp and ensure they are indeed "Always Ready."

The 33rd IBCT, consisting of approximately 2,350 Soldiers from 30 companies from Machesney Park to Marion, ensured all Soldiers, vehicles and equipment arrived safely.

Chief Warrant Officer (2) Kenneth Morris of Mahomet, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 33rd IBCT, was responsible for organizing the 597 vehicles and 209 trailers required for the training.

Morris began preparation for the long haul as early as March, directing members of the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Kewanee driving convoys to Fort McCoy, Wis., for drill weekend and bussing them back. They repeated that process in April. Overall, units pre-positioned 177 vehicles and trailers over drill weekends.

Morris also used the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site on Camp Ripley to borrow 179 vehicles and 25 trailers.

From there, a combined 157 vehicles and trailers were brought on semi trailers and 223 were driven in convoys.

Most convoys were broken into a two-day trek, but some of the southernmost units required three days to complete the trip. The convoys were the most time consuming mode of transportation due to the multiple stops needed to keep the vehicles from overheating.

Maj. Friedrich Josellis of Macomb, communication officer for the 33rd IBCT, was the officer in charge of Headquarters and Headquarters Company 33rd IBCT convoy that began July 5. He said the temperature was the biggest obstacle, which was 104 degrees on the first day of the convoy.

It became a hazard, not only to the vehicles, but to the Soldiers as well. Soldier care was critical, said Josellis, because of the high risk of heat injury and dehydration.

"Soldiers did extraordinarily well given the trying conditions in terms of staying healthy and keeping the vehicles running," said Josellis. "The Soldiers (conducted) preventative maintenance checks and services on the vehicles every stop. Thanks to that we didn't lose any vehicles because of anything the Soldiers did."

In addition to the Soldiers traveling by convoy, there were more than 1,000 transported on commercial buses and more than 450 by airplane on C-130s with the Illinois Air National Guard's 182nd Airlift Wing in Peoria, Ill.

All Soldiers arrived to Camp Ripley, Minn., July 8.

When he was a boy during the 1950s and '60s, Michael Uslan was so obsessed with comic books - Batman, in particular - that he collected thousands and didn't hesitate to send corrections to editors when he spotted a mistake in a story line.

"Everyone has an origin story, even though it's most likely without a planet blowing up, parents murdered or a radioactive spider bite," says Uslan, the Originator and Executive Producer of the "The Dark Knight Rises," the third and newest in the Dark Knight movie trilogy. He wrote about his comic book obsession - and his childhood dream of showing the world Batman as he saw him - in his memoir, The Boy Who Loved Batman (www.theboywholovedbatman.com).

"My origin story - what formed my character - is entrenched in comic books," he says. "When I was 8 years old, I wanted to see if I could get my name in print, next to Bruce Wayne and the rest of Gotham's characters."

It wasn't luck, fortune or an accident that Uslan grew up to produce the most successful comic book-based movie franchise of all time, he says. Now, his goal is to inspire kids and young adults to pursue their own dreams with focus and dedication, "because you can make them come true."

Here's how:

• Know your passion: Uslan wasn't the only kid on his block who loved comics - but most of the others probably never dared to dream that they could have a hand in influencing their favorite character, he says. It's important to ask yourself, "What do I really, really care about?" The answer to this question will be the seed from which dreams sprout.

• Don't be a passive bystander - participate: His passion for comics blossomed through several steps, including a general interest in reading and writing and active participation with the world's first ComicCon in New York City in 1964, when he befriended comic writing legend Otto Binder. These days, there are plenty of opportunities for kids to be proactive, he says, citing blogs, websites and social networking. "A teen raised with today's technology can create a video, for example, that rivals those created by professionals," he says.

• Identify objectives that will take you to your goal: In high school, Uslan became essential to the yearbook staff, developing media skills that would benefit him later. In 1972, as a junior at Indiana University, he created and taught the first college level course on comic books. After graduating law school, he had the legal knowledge and Hollywood credentials necessary to purchase the film rights to Batman and start repairing the super hero's image. He wanted to get away from the campy sitcom version of the crusader and reintroduce the Dark Knight to his roots for a movie-going audience. "You don't have to bend to the expectations of everyone else," he says. "If you love something enough and are willing to create favorable circumstances, others will bend to you."

• Learn from problems instead of allowing them to distract: Most people never realize their dreams because life gets in the way. Problems and new priorities arise and detract you from your course. The trick is to figure out how to respond to these in ways that help you reach your goal. For instance, learning how to negotiate, how to efficiently manage your time or how to become very self-disciplined are skills you can apply in pursuing your dream.

About Michael Uslan

Michael Uslan, (www.theuslancompany.com), is the Originator and Executive Producer along with his partner Benjamin Melniker, of the Batman franchise of motion pictures. In his 36 years in the film and television industry, he has been involved with such projects as "National Treasure," "Constantine," and countless animated projects. His projects have won Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmy Awards. He is the author of his auto-biography, THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN, now in bookstores and at amazon.com.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Sophomore Tyler HIxson of Davenport earned an athletic letter for outstanding participation on the Coe College baseball team during the spring 2012 season. Hixson, a graduate of Assumption High School, is the son of David and Jill Hixson.

Hixson is a second year letter winner in baseball. The baseball team is under the direction of 16th-year Head Coach Steve Cook. After finishing second in the Iowa Conference regular season standings, the Kohawks went undefeated in the Iowa Conference Tournament for the second-straight year, earning the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Championships. Coe placed third at the NCAA Regionals.

Sophomore Keenan McLaughlin of Pleasant Valley, earned an athletic letter for outstanding participation on the Coe College track team during the spring 2012 season. McLaughlin, a Pleasant Valley High School graduate, is the son of Patrick and Melinda McLaughlin.

McLaughlin is a first year lettter winner in track. The men's track and field team is under the direction of fifth-year Head Coach Michael Warta.